Pick Your Poison
As we get close to Halloween I think about all the times people have tried to 'guide' me in my marathon, pointing me to a particular path, and helping me to make the right decisions, and trying to explain to me why I should do this and not that. Well the choices are always yours to make, you pick your poison and then drink it, whatever happens, the choice was yours, and that is how it should be. Everyone has opinions and certainly they want to share those with you. Family, friends, and even strangers can tell you how you should not do this or you need to make this decision, they will offer ever piece of advice they can, whether you ask or not. First rule, stop telling folks anything about what you plan to do, keep your ideas, your fears, and your plans under your hat. The people in your life, those that stand by you through thick and thin, those that provide unconditional love and support, those are the only people that need to know your path.
It is scary on the path, sometimes it will be dark and stormy, sometimes it will be cold, and you will face demons, you will face terror, you will face failure. Understand you are going to make mistakes, you are going to take the wrong path at some turns, but it is not the end, because there are other paths to choose. If there were only one drink then you would know it is poison, but you have choices, and while they might all have some effects, you choose, carefully, knowing what you know.
Positive people can help you to get positive results, they can be a great sounding board, and others you just need to be able to say thank you and move on. You have to understand you will never please everyone and you have to choose your marathon path, pick your poison and know what matters to you, because this is your race, your decision. Look at your qualities, your talents, align your goals and your life around those, and know what is in your heart. Look at what you have done in the past, what has worked and what has not, think about where you want to go, life can be complicated and you have to manage what is coming your way.
Happiness and success seem to go hand in hand, most of the time the happier you are the more successful you are and vice versa. Decisions on your path, and your choices of course impact that as well, and positive decisions, positive results certainly help that to happen, and build confidence and results. Take time to breathe, learning technique in breathing helps you to focus, it helps you to relax, it helps you to be grounded and run longer. Take time to know yourself, understand your victories no matter how small, know your path is taking shape, believe in yourself.
We are coming to the end of October, All Hallows Eve, and we dress up and have fun, for some they have tricks and others have treats and some have both, but it is just another day. It is the start of fall, we have time change, we have the start of November, the beginning of a month to be thankful and everywhere we will be inundated with Christmas. The path of our lives is always in a jog, a pace that we set, we are driven by so many outside influences, from retail to media, and surrounded by it all. Stop and breathe, set your own pace, be thankful all year long and don't save it for one month or one day, consider your choices, find your path, pick your poison.