THE CURSE OF CHOICE
So, you have read my post so far, and as you read it you were captivated. You felt inspired and empowered. Your mind was stimulated. You felt the elusive familiarity of hope, knocking on the door of your heart. It was great, you got the "tingles", you are full of emotion. You shut down the computer in expectation, ready to jump, and then at that moment; in those 60 seconds, you look around you and you allowed "reality" to set in.
Why haven't you done anything? Why haven't you applied? Why haven't you looked for that grant to go to School? What haven't you started writing that book, taken that class, gotten up, and exercised? Why are you in the same position? Imprisoned in the situation that has you bound.
Why, because you can? Because you have a choice too! You may not even recognize that you have the luxury of choice, because, while your options may not seem appealing, you still have options. You may not be happy with your job, but you have one. You may not like the weight that you have gained, but you are still choosing to not change your life. You may WANT to fulfill that dream, achieve that goal, start your own business, but you are CHOOSING, albeit subconsciously, not to.
I have had the fortune to travel extensively and live in many places. This exposure has shaped my worldview. One thing that I have learned, is that your perception is your reality. I remember a particular trip that I took with some friends, who were shocked to see the conditions that the natives lived in. We had a conversation about this over breakfast on the second day of the trip. I listened to their (well-meaning) rants and outrage, then I responded, do you realize that the people that you speak of don't know that they are poor. They are not aware of their "lack", because this is all that they know. This is their reality and while you marvel at how they can be so happy with so little, it is because in their perception their "little is a lot". There is no other option, no other choice.
We have the luxury of judgment because we have the option of choice. Let's look at our breakfast table, we have a choice of juice, tea, or coffee, how we want our eggs prepared, various fruits, yogurt, and breads. Because we are accustomed to the luxury of choice, not having a choice, feels like poverty to us. I am sure everyone in this Village woke up this morning, had their millet and tea for breakfast, and were grateful and happy to have it because it was their only choice.
Choice is a blessing but for most of us, we have allowed it to be a curse. Because we can choose not to act, we do not. Because we can choose to settle, we do. Because we can choose to give up, sadly we have.
What could you do, if you did not have a choice? If your life depended on it, would you lose weight? If your survival depended on it, would you start the business? If your sanity was at stake, would you fulfill your dream? Yes, you would! So why aren't you doing those things because you are not yet at the point, where you do not have a choice.
Sometimes, if you don't make the choice, life will give you a "helping hand". Life will pull the proverbial rug from underneath you; a loved one will abandon you and you will have no choice but to stand on your own. Sickness will threaten your health and you will have no choice but to lose weight. A global pandemic will occur, shutting down your job and you will have no other choice but to create a new stream of income.
You have the power, right now, within you to make a choice. You have the capability to achieve anything you set your mind to. You can choose to act now and change your life. You can choose yourself, not your circumstance.
So, no more excuses. Every day I want you to choose you. Choose the best for you in every situation. Make the choice, even if it is the difficult one, that prioritizes the best for you. The choice is yours. Today, I implore you to choose to live life limitlessly!