“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
— J. K. Rowling
Do you believe that things in our lives happen by chance, or that they happen because of the choices that we make? Do you feel like the victim when things happen or don’t happen to you, or do you take responsibility for your choices that got you there?
Whether we have made good or bad choices (or decisions) they are always ours, no one can make them for you. The decisions that we make will affect our today and our future. Now I am not talking about the things that you or me can not control or do anything about. We can however do something about the choices we make in our lives.
I have made a few bad choices in my life thinking that the outcome would be different. Only to find out that I should have listened to my intuition and I would have been better off. Now that I look back on some of the choices I have made, I think myself ‘would I make the same choices today.’ The answer to that is a definite NO ! I would like to think that I would’nt. I try to use my experiences in life to guide me today. Hopefully we all do.
Sometimes when reflecting on the past I think to myself, if I had finished college, would my life be different? Of course it would! I would be working for myself or a firm as a Commercial Artist and my finances would be in better shape. I made the choice to quit going to college, and that wasn’t a very good decision. That is the reason I am not a Commercial Artist today. Not finishing college though does not make me a lesser person and what ever career or job I have chosen does not define who I am.
There are different choices I could have made in my previous marriage that would have made my children’s lives a whole lot easier. I have tried to quit thinking about would’ve, should’ve and could’ve. After all there is not any benefit in it for myself, my children nor my husband. I just have to make better choices from now on.
Then we make a decision about something we have to think to ourselves (I have learned this the hard way):
*How will my decision affect my future?
*What are the benefits for me (and my family)?
*Am I making this decision for me or because someone wants me to?
*Is this what is best for me right now at this time?
The exercise for today from the book, Achieve Anything In Just One Year: Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals was to observe the choices that I made throughout the day and determine if those choices were limiting me or nurturing me.
I can say with all honesty some of the choices I made today are limiting me. I noticed as I have for a while now, that I emotional eat. I didn’t do this before, but in the last year I have gained about 10 lbs. Not a good thing at all. I was eating healthy before, no cokes, sugar or white flour. I was eating more vegetables and fruit and happy about it. I also noticed that I tell myself that it is ok I will eat healthier tomorrow and start an exercise program. Tomorrow hasn’t come yet. Excuses!
When I tell myself that I will do better tomorrow and then do not, I am letting myself down. It is not healthy for my emotional or physical well being. I don’t sit around and beat myself up all the time. Well, let me be honest I do beat myself up about it on occasion. I need to get healthier for myself first and then for my family. I would feel a whole lot better. Then I would feel better emotionally and more confident about myself.
To accomplish this I can make wiser food choices and exercise as we know makes you feel better. I always feel better when I am outside walking or doing something. So if another year passes and I gain another 10 lbs then that would be the result of the decision that I have made.
What choices have you made today? Do you believe that those choices are limiting you or nurturing you? If so what are those choice that are limiting you and what can you do to change?
Til Next Time!
I wholeheartedly believe that our destiny is guided by the choices we make and not predetermined in any way. I enjoyed reading this post!
I too believe that our lives are not predetermined. We make our own good luck and our choices are what determines the paths or lack of that we take in life.
Nice article. My husband and I have some tough decisions to make that will direct our families future. I need to check out that book. My husband would also love to read it too.
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It is a pretty good book to get you to thinking about your life and things you want to accomplish. Which most of us need to do.
Some very interesting thoughts and such…:-)
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Great reflection and lots of food for thought!
Heather ~ Acting Balanced Mom recently posted..Travelling with Kids: Breakfast with Quaker Soft Baked Bars
I love how you extend our perspective from a decision just being about the here and now. When we look at the far reaching impacts it’s sheds a whole new light on the importance of little daily decisions.
Shannon Milholland recently posted..Saddle Up
Your right our decisions will impact our lives for years to come. Thank you for stopping by.
We all make our choices. What I have learned is we need to stop beating ourselves up for the choices we made. Keep looking forwards do learn from your mistakes but don’t dwell. You can’t change the past. You don’t need to stare down to road of where you have been your not going that way look forward towards your goal.
I made a choice to take charge of my health about 6 months ago. I’m feeling so much better now, and I have changed much more then just my weight
Alicia recently posted..It’s okay dirt is good for you…….
I do know that if you keep beating yourself up for your choices in life you will always be stuck in the past. Like you said we don’t need to dwell on our decisions from the past. Past is past and we can’t go back. I am excited for you that you have taken charge of your health!!
Decisions, decisions…..they are what they are. Just another step that we take along the path of our lives. Certain ones have a huge impact on everything else while others affect very little. Throughout my life, I have made many bad ones and a few really great ones. I’ve spent countless hours and days dwelling and must say that I agree with you completely about that being a bad bad habit. The dwelling is usually fruitless and results in only causing you to make more mistakes along the way.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned has been to not only keep from dwelling, but to forgive myself. It’s not always easy, but I’ve realized that it’s absolutely necessary if I want to give myself an honest chance at moving forward in life. As a birth mother, giving up my son was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. 13 years later, I can also say that hindsight has shown me that doing so was the best decision I’ve ever made. But it did take a long time before I felt certain about that.
I agree it is important to forgive yourself and without that forgiveness ‘it is hard to move forward in life’. I finally figured that out years ago. At times it still creeps up on me and I have to shake it off and think of something else. I am sure it was hard to give up your son years ago. I can only imagine what you must have felt like. I don’t know all the circumstances but being really young with a baby is hard on a mother, and we do the best we can. You have a beautiful son now, and you seem to be doing really well with raising him now from what I have read about you all on your blog.
I agree although it is a game my hubby and I say “What if”
Judy recently posted..THRIVING THURSDAY–DAY2
So very true; when we sit and think about it. The decisions made today good or bad lead to unprepared consequences today or tomorrow. That is an sbolutely true statement. Today, I have been given a second chance to live a very different life. I am taking it to be a better person, sister, daughter, mother, friend, girlfriend and aunt. My life before was great, don’t get me wrong, but today I have the chance and the choices to make life so much sweeter for all of us. Thanks for sharing!
That is true! I hope as we get older we grow wiser and make better decisions. First and foremost for ourselves and our family. Thank you for stopping by.