
Choices have been on my mind a lot lately because the decisions that you make determine your future path in life.
Over the holidays, I spent some time with a lot of family members. One in particular has had some health issues that have taken a toll on his body. In observing him over the holidays, I could see that some of his past choices have gotten him at least partly to where he is today. On top of that, I could see that current choices are leading him to a place that he really doesn’t want to go but is refusing to see.
This awareness for me was difficult.
I can clearly see what’s happening, but there’s little that I can do about it because it’s his life to lead. These choices are his to make. Just as I am responsible for my own choices, he is responsible for his.
Each of the choices we make leads us further down our path.
Every decision that you make determines your upcoming actions or next steps and each step that you take will propel you further down your path that you call life.
Now, you can blame others for the decisions that you make and for the actions that you take. You can say that you didn’t have a choice and you ‘had’ to do something, but, honestly, that’s rarely the case.
The majority of the time, you have a choice to make in any given situation. You might have to choose between two equally bad things, but you still have the chance to make that choice. Even when you choose between two bad options, you’ve directed yourself down a particular path. It may not be the path that you really want, but your choice has moved you forward on your path.
Take ownership for the path that you’ve chosen.
I’ve seen a lot of people blame others for the choices that they themselves have made. When this happens, then this puts a person in victim mode when in reality they’ve created their own path with the decisions that they made.
Does this sound familiar to you? Do you blame others for the choices that you made?
That extra cookie that you ate was a choice that you made. The extra drink that you had was also a choice. The decision to sit for hours on end instead of getting up to move your body was yet another choice. Just as eating a nutritious meal, going for a walk or spending time with a loved one is a choice that you can make.
Someone else might have influenced your decisions but the majority of the time, it was you who made the decision and directed your path.
Pay attention to what you choose in your life.
All of the choices that you make add up over time. Just as my relative is now discovering, what you choose will set the tone for your future. If your present isn’t showing up the way that you’d like it to be, then your past decisions are why.
Even though your past choices got you to where you are today, that doesn’t mean that you can’t choose differently today. As long as you still have breath in your body, then you can make a different choice than what you have in the past. That might mean that you eat different food at your next meal, go for a walk instead of watch another hour of TV, or even rest instead of overworking yourself yet again.
If you’re not happy with where you are now in your life, than make a different choice than what got your to where you are right now. You have the power to create change in your life. This message is what I tried to share with my family member over the past two weeks and I decided to share it with you as well.
I know it’s not always easy to make a different choice!
I’ve done my own share of shifting and changing over the last couple of years. This has involved making a lot of different choices in my life.
It’s not always been easy!
There are times when I take the easy route and sit and watch a lot of Netflix. There are also times, when I do the things that will move me in a different direction than where I am now. (Lately, that’s meant a lot of house renovations as I settle into this new version of me.)
All of these choices are adding up in my life. When the good/positive choices outweigh the bad/negative choices, then I start to create the change in my life that I’m really looking to achieve. It’s a process that’s influenced by each choice that I make in my life.
If you’re looking to shift something in your life, then you’re going to have to make a different choice somewhere. Often those choices aren’t always obvious and you need someone in your life to help you see what your choices are. I’ve gotten help and support on my journey over the last few years. I’ve found my own personal yoga therapy sessions to be very healing & helpful as I work through the changes that I seek. While not always easy, making those new choices is easier when I have support.
I can support you in the same way. If you’d like to chat about how I can support you in creating a change in your life, then click here for a free 15 minute call. You don’t have to go through change all alone. Together we can shift your path forward so that you’re choices begin to add up differently than they have in the past.
And remember, it’s never too late to live healthier and happier!
Becky is a Yoga Therapist & has been teaching yoga since 2006. She loves to match people with a yoga practice that helps them to feel better every day & believes that there is a yoga practice for everyone. Click here to sign up for her mailing list & get all of the important news & tips first!