Are there choices that you need to make?

Everything we do in life is a choice, and I think most of us realize that. But what most people don’t seem to realize is that everything we don’t do in life is also a choice. Every day we choose to do some things and to not do other things.

Sometimes choosing not to do something is the wisest choice. However, there is a huge difference between choosing not to do something and choosing to do nothing.

Most people would like to change their life in one way or another. How about you? Are there areas of your life that you would like to change?

What is stopping you?

Anytime you want to, you can change your life, but just wanting to change is not enough. You must make a choice to change. Doing nothing and wishing things would change is the course most people choose. Consequently, nothing ever changes.

The thought of having a different life, or a different quality of life, is very appealing to most people. It’s easy to imagine being in better physical condition, having a more rewarding career, and enjoying more meaningful relationships. But pretending doesn’t get the job done, does it?

Obviously, more is required

We have all created our present situation by the choices we made in the past. If we chose to do nothing, then our situation reflects that. Recognizing that we live in a world of our own creation means that we are responsible. If we don’t like our life the way it is, then we are the ones responsible for making changes.

Does the thought of change make you feel uncomfortable?

One of the most common reasons why people are uncomfortable with change is because they haven’t yet accepted full responsibility. For some reason, it seems to be a natural tendency to shrink away from responsibility.

This kind of mindset creates helplessness. It means that we are looking for change outside of ourselves. We may look to our mates to make us happy, or we may look to our careers to make us feel fulfilled. In a situation like this, if things don’t turn out the way we want, we tend to blame our mates or our careers.

No one else can make you happy, that’s up to you

No career or other person can bring you satisfaction if you are dissatisfied with yourself.

Here are 10 feelings that we are each responsible for:

1. Happy or unhappy

2. Fulfilled or unfulfilled

3. Satisfied or dissatisfied

4. Encouraged or discouraged

5. Loved or unloved

6. Worthy or unworthy

7. Approved of, or disapproved of

8. Deserving or undeserving

9. Grateful or ungrateful

10. Secure or insecure

Look at this list and ask yourself, “have I personally taken responsibility for these feelings in my life?” If you find that you are still looking to outside sources, then perhaps it’s time to accept personal responsibility.

Liberate yourself

Accepting responsibility is actually a very liberating experience. Once we recognize that we are the ones in control, it makes life much simpler. Granted, we can’t always control what goes on around us, any more than we can control the weather. So what can we control?

We can control our response to everything that happens!

Understanding this concept is a vital key to improving the quality of your life.

Whatever happens, you are in complete control of your response. You decide what value any event has in your life. Once you make an evaluation, you have the freedom to choose what comes next.

If you’re not happy with your physical condition, make a choice to change, starting today. Too much pondering and over analyzing just allows the current situation to continue. Yes, we want to make wise choices. But we don’t want to endlessly delay making a choice as we continue searching for the best solution.

That’s just a form of avoidance

Any time you want to, you can begin changing your life. You can change your physical, emotional, mental, or financial situation, and you can start today.

It all starts with a choice

If it seems overwhelming, pick one area of your life and start there. You don’t need to dive into the deep end, but you do need to start taking action.

Here are three examples:

1) Imagine that your weight has gotten out of control. At this point you’re so frustrated that you just don’t know where to begin. So, up until now you’ve done nothing. Why not start walking for 20 or 30 minutes every day? You can plan your next weight loss step while you’re walking. If you think you can’t afford to spend 20 or 30 minutes a day improving the quality of your life, think again.

If your life is so busy you really can’t find an extra few minutes, then combine activities. Walk to the store, walk on your lunch break, or park your car as far away from your destination as possible and walk. I’m always amazed to see people who need some exercise sitting in their cars waiting for a parking space close to the entrance to the store. If they parked at the other end of the lot, they could be walking instead of waiting.

2) The quality of your closest relationship is not what you’d like it to be. Could you make a choice today to change your role in that relationship? Whatever it is that you would like to receive more of in your relationship, could you put more of that same quality into your relationship?

If you don’t feel that your mate is paying enough attention to you, could you make time to pay more attention to them? If you don’t feel that they listen to you, could you try to be a better listener yourself?

As you raise the value of your role in the relationship, your mate will likely respond in kind. Whatever it is you want to receive, that’s what you need to give.

3) If you feel that your life is lacking joy and happiness, what can you do? You might start by counting your blessings. What are you truly grateful for, and how does that make you feel? What else?

True happiness comes from being grateful for what we have and from giving. Could you give a smile to everyone who makes eye contact with you? Could you give some encouragement to someone who’s feeling discouraged? When you become a source of happiness for others, you are giving. A very reliable source tells us that there is happiness is giving.

The point is, once you make a choice, there is always a way to follow through. The hardest thing is often just making the choice to get started. You have an enormous amount of power to control the quality of your life. Don’t settle for doing nothing. Make a choice to have the life you want, choose a place to start working on it, and make a choice to get started today.

Are there choices that you need to make?

Do you feel empowered when you make a choice to take action?

The lines are open!