My son’s favorite “subject” at school is Choice.
It’s the only part of his day where he gets to play with whatever toys he wants to, and decide whether or not he wants to do it alone or with other kids in his class. He likes it as much or even better than recess.
Some days he plays with Kinex and makes a toy spaceship. Other days he works out a drama with his friends and enacts a play. Each day is different.
And the best days of all are the days where, for whatever reason, there are two periods of Choice. Oh, the joy! He openly shares about how great those days are without us having to prod him for details about his day at school.
The real reason he likes Choice is that, like most of us, he’s in charge and he gets to say and do what he wants.
In essence, he feels like he is in control.
We human beings, we have free will. So we like the idea that we can be in charge and
be in control.
And even though it’s mostly an illusion (and by “it”, I mean control), one wonderful way we can feel in control is to choose what we do with our lives.
But, the Old Way of Living and Working — the one we’re used to (because we’re in the habit of doing it this way) — is to agree to continue with how things already are, feeling that we can’t make a
change.
It’s often living and working in a model that was constructed based on what we thought we “should” be doing. What we were raised to think was the “right” or “best” way of living. The right kind of job, making the right kind of money, living in the right neighborhood, driving the right car, etc, etc.
Sound familiar? How’s it working for you? And what about what YOU want for your life?
The good news is, you can make a choice to switch to the New Way of Living and Working.
In this case, it’s about saying yes to what makes you happy. It’s about saying yes to saying no. By that I mean, letting go of the shoulds. Letting go of what others think is right for you. It’s about giving yourself permission to let go of external expectations and obligations. To, in essence, do less and feel better about doing less for others so you can do more for you.
No, it’s not about becoming a hermit or letting people down. It’s not about hiding in a corner or pretending you’re sick to give yourself a break.
It’s about acknowledging that you are a human being with free will. And you have the gift of choice. Wonderful choice.
By doing so, you will be choosing to live your life in the flow, without resistance and without stress. By living a life of choices that are in alignment with what you envision for your ideal life, you’ll be in a state of happiness and ease and satisfaction.
So, what Choice will you make today to live your life? (Not someone else’s idea of what your life “should” look like.)