Tag Archives: positive choices

22

Making Choices

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 Conscious Choices 

Please don’t rely on scarecrows with hay in their heads to make choices. Do it consciously.

To make real choices in your life, first, you have to become fully conscious of the thoughts you entertain in your mind. Full consciousness is not easy to accomplish because our brains have been programmed throughout our lives to think a certain way and react almost unconsciously to certain stimuli. If you are responding to things in a patterned manner, then really, there is no choice, just patterned reactionary behavior. Today, one thought is to look at all of your preferences for only one day and ask yourself why you made that decision. Choice implies that we have a consciousness about us, so be aware of the thousands of options we make in a day and the repercussions of these decisions, big and small.

Conscious or Unconscious

It all begins when you seperate yourself from your thoughts. Too often, we have been conditioned to believe that we are our thoughts. An idea is only as accurate as we allow it to be. A  mind is a powerful tool, and it can help us solve complex problems and create positive situations, but it is just a tool, not who we are. What your thoughts for some time and notice their value; most are repeated ideas we have been thinking about for many years. But you don’t have to identify with them,

Be conscious and become aware or unconscious and unaware—your choice.

That is the real beginning of choice. You start to understand that you are not the mind, but the person behind the account who uses the tool to create your life.

The choice begins here. Once we realize we are not our thoughts, we become present in the moment. We are no longer compelled to react in a patterned response from a conditioned mind. Think out how often we try to recreate what we are familiar with because the brain likes comfortable. Your conscious is delighted with the known. Whereas the unknown is a hazardous and fearful experience because we feel there is no way to control it.

All real choices are made in the present moment with an understanding of the pros and cons of each moment and making a decision based on how it will affect your life. Not how  he past has gone, or what you imagine may go wrong tomorrow. Make choices based on the day’s feelings, thoughts, and possibilities. The option is not a reaction, and it is a conscious decision to act, not act or create.

Your Choices Define You

No matter if you are operating on a conscious or unconscious level, you will be defined by the choices you make. Are you resented by love or fear? When you make the decisions of love, the resulting feelings will be overwhelmingly good. If your choices are coming from fear, then bad feelings will result. These fundamental decisions are going to define you every moment. Look at your thoughts, which take your focus. Are they anchored in

Your choices will identify you and the kind of person you are in the world.

The past? Or centered on  what might happen in the future? The only moment that matters now.

Pull your thoughts into this moment and what is happening in your life right now. That is the one thing you are guaranteed at this moment. Either you find the joy in it or the pain, which is the natural choice we are making every moment. Life is a short ride, and the only thing you are guaranteed is that it will end at some point. At that moment, how do you want the choices you make today to look? Are you making decisions based on what is favorable for you? Or are you making choices you feel others will accept? Options that are safe and in accord with the programming from your past? Decisions that you can’t second-guess? Or are you making choices based on the present moment and who you are as unlimited potential? Too often, for me, this is not the case.

Today’s Choices

Take time today and be aware of where you are honestly in this life journey. Make choices of w at type of person you want to be, and then choose to take action from that frame of mind. Efforts in this a a will take you to the experiences you need to become the best version of yourself possible. Look at all your c ices and understand what direction they are pushing you. If they don’t make you better, it is time to start making different choices. The incredible thing about life is that it is never too late to take another direction and begin to become a better version of yourself. It will happen one c conscious choice at a time.

 “Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent, and committed decision.” —Tony Robbins

 “Life presents you with so many decisions. A lot of times, they re right in front of your face, and they’re really difficult, but we must make them.” —Brittany Murphy

“We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.” —Stephen Covey

 “Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” —Keri Russell

 

22

Overwhelm

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If you are feeling overwhelmed today, it is ok. Life puts us all in that situation at some point. One of life’s best teaching tools is difficult times pushing us on paths we may not want to walk. But we need to walk them. Overcoming the challenges of life makes better people. Taking the hurdles of being and becoming better from them and not letting them defeat you is what positive living is all about. No matter how good a person you are, life will push you. That is how growth happens, and greatness in individuals is developed and revealed. So no matter how dark it is,  how far you have fallen, or how lost you feel, every minute in life is a chance to start turning it all around. These are the moments we have the opportunity to become our best selves. A few “magic” things can help you win the battles of life, simple things that will move you in the right direction.

Do you Always Practice Gratitude?

When you experience loss, it is natural to focus on the things you have lost. Turning that loss around starts with recognizing what you have. There is always something to be grateful for in life. A cup of coffee, your favorite milkshake,  a friend to listen to a family that cares about you, avoiding self-centered, selfish people, or the chance to grow are all things we can recognize and express gratitude for every little thing we have each day.

Practicing gratitude is a mindset, just like focusing on the negative. Always choose gratitude because there are many benefits and no drawbacks. Be grateful you are here, in the world, having a dynamic human experience today. Having an appreciation for even the tough times is essential because, without the tough times, the good times would not be quite as sweet. You only have one go around in life; enjoy it! Be grateful for it. Gratitude is a simple way to turn it all around. From a bad mood to a bad year, always be thankful for what you have.

Do You Focus On Positive Energy?

Some people and experiences bring positive energy into your life, and of course, others get negative. Few things in life are neutral, so you must focus on those that make your experience positive. Turning things around can start in this way. Let’s start with the people in your life. Just as you clean out your wardrobe from time to time, you should look at the people in your life and see the energy they are providing you. If you spend your talks on the judgments of others, gossip, or complaining, then that is an opposing force in your life. Start by changing the interactions into more positive venues, but if you can’t make the interactions more positive energy, consider moving on. No matter how long or how well you know them, negative energy brings negative experiences.

When it comes to negative experiences, it is pretty straightforward. Positive activities high vibration, provide self-esteem and feel good. Look at your habits and actions daily and look for things that you can discard to allow more positivism in your life. Low vibration activities like drinking alcohol or using drugs will never let your best self emerge. Our society glorifies drinking, and we are brainwashed into believing it is an acceptable activity. But if you are down and need to turn it around, alcohol will not bring what you need. There are millions of examples of this. Positive activities that always make your life better are participating in exercise in almost any form, following your calling, eating a better diet, or spending time with positive people, which allows you the possibility to move in a new direction.

Do you Visualize?

No matter where you are, even in prison, nobody can control your mind and the things you think about except you. Visualizing how you want life to be can move your life in a more positive direction. If you picture what you want your life to look like, then start to set goals to get there and take action on those goals. You are on your way to getting there. Think of the best-case scenario for you and picture it would be like if all things worked out perfectly. That is visualizing, and that can be a great way to turn things around if you are picturing life without the stress and negativity you are currently experiencing. Look at all of the people and things you deal with daily and ask yourself; Are they moving me closer to my vision.

Things most often are not going to happen overnight, but the wheels of change will help you change things around and become the best version of yourself. The creativity of the mind leads to creativity in reality. Be vivid and push your imagination to its limits to produce the life that will help you thrive and find the things in life that will make you happy.

Do you let fear stop you?

Fear is nothing but a thought we entertain. Fear is an illusion of thought. We remember the pain in the past, and we want to avoid it to look at all situations through that memory of pain. The things we are most afraid of are not things we are experiencing right now, and they are things we may encounter in the future. Life is a constant choice between fear and love, and the decisions you make determine everything from how you live your life to who you choose to spend your time with. Fear can stop you cold if you entertain thoughts, fearing what others think of you or what might happen.

Practice putting fears aside and take the steps needed to find your love. Love has many branches, and they will all help you turn it around. Kindness, understanding, acceptance, truth, faith, confidence are just a few examples. Fear will try to control you with the opposites, selfishness, judgment, lies, doubt in yourself, meanness, single-mindedness can all move you further into a hole. Taking action is always the remedy to fear; there is no fear when you know all the answers.

To become your best self, you have to realize what makes you happy and what God put you in this world to do and then do those things. Usually, they will provide a chance for you to find your best self and serve the world as well. Don’t be overwhelmed by the hard times; they are a part of the experience of life. You have plenty of tools you can choose to use to become the best version of yourself the world needs.

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see a shadow.” ~ Helen Keller

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

21

Trickster

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I once believed I was an intelligent individual. Life had given me many perceived answers as to how to live, the best patterns of thought to follow, and a philosophy of thinking to guide me. Yet, life is a miserable trickster sometimes, and I had forgotten this important fact. It gives you enough knowledge to build up a false sense of security in your actions and then pulls the foundation in your mind away, letting you fall hard on the unforgiving concrete of learning. Congratulations! You have just moved to a new level of understanding. If you survive the harrowing experience and manage to find a reason to continue with the game of life, then you have won. I once thought I was a relatively wise man, but much of what I believed to be the truth has been proven empty in the pale open light of reality.

I Am Nothing

Wisdom knows that I am nothing. This line is the beginning of a quote I love, and it always reminds me to put my thoughts, actions, and experiences into a proper perspective. No matter what I do in my life, it is all relatively insignificant to the world in the big scheme of things. Nobody cares if I am kind, loving, understanding or mean, hateful or judgmental. The world will continue, and in effect, all that I am is nothing. The world will keep turning without me. Billions of people will rise in the morning, whether I am here or not. Lives will continue, the world will go on, with or without my contribution.

Yet, a small part of the world may benefit from my decision to be caring, kind, accepting, and loving toward those in my life. All I can do is make my actions positively represent my best self and best efforts. The thought that I am nothing with no more influence than anyone else but no less either is Wisdom itself. I have long stopped judging myself and my philosophies as good or bad because they are things I think and experience. I know that I am nothing, and in that knowledge, I have the potential to make a difference.

I am Everything

Love teaches me that I am Everything. In my experience, the human heart is not well equipped to handle love. The emotions of our lives come to us in waves, love, lust, anger, hatred, jealousy, pain, anger, joy, attachment, kindness, meanness, loss, gain, and many more things are all wrapped up in the emotion we describe as love. There are so many things wound up into this experience nobody can take it all quickly. But in love, we can find our best selves and abilities to rise to the surface of who we are.

Inside of us is the constant battle of choice and love is at the forefront of this. It brings heightened experiences and magnifies all the choices we make around them. The more we love ourselves and others, the more our life has to contribute to the world. In being conscious of how our thoughts of love materialize in the world. The closer we are to being our best selves. Love knows I am Everything and in Everything, from nature to thoughts in my head. We are vital to the world because of our capacity to see the value in others and life. This view is often obscured by the painful needs of our false selves or ego. We can’t see our love’s value or capacity because we are too worried about our needs not being met. Remember, love knows you are Everything.

Life is In Between

So we look to Wisdom to know we are nothing and love to understand we are Everything, but then there is the experience of life. We have to be able to look at our experiences and quantify them in some way. It is tough for me because I am constantly moving between these two different realities, and the closer I am to Wisdom, the more lonely and sad I feel. So is it better to be less wise and more blissful in experiencing love each day? I think the phrase is, ignorance is bliss.

I do know that the only person who controls the amount of love I give to the world is me. Circumstances are what they are. The choices of others are theirs to make, and they define their lives. It seems very unwise to allow them to dictate how you feel about yourself. That seems silly and dangerous. A person could be mentally unbalanced, and letting their vacillations of thoughts and caring dictate your reality will make you mentally unstable. I hope I can choose to be wise and loving.

Being Wise and Loving

I hope that in the game of life, I can learn to practice the Wisdom of knowing I am not the center of the universe. Understanding the love I can contribute to the world can make a difference in some small way. By choosing to put the well-being of others and those, I affect in my life. Making positive choices each day and in each situation I face is the best decision I can make. I am choosing to be kind, not mean. To be honest and not lie. To be accepting of others and not judgmental. To be giving, not selfish. To be appreciative, not greedy.

There is only one way that I will find out: to live life and hope that I can navigate this minefield of emotions, thought, and action—turning my life into something that resembles value to others and myself. It must be a pleasant existence to float through things and not wonder about anything in any deep and contemplative way. But that is not my path. Is it one of Wisdom, one of love, or one that contains a balance within? Only in the end will the answer be revealed if it has all been false sense or not.

“Wisdom knows I am nothing,
Love knows I am Everything,
and between the two, my life moves.”

 

21

Inside Story

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Inside– the inner part; the interior. 

People are continually looking outside of themselves for acceptance in the world.  They look to friends, family members, society in general, or institutions to evaluate their progress in life.  They are looking in the wrong direction because all of those things are outside of us, and the instructions that matter are inside us.  What do you think of yourself inside?  Are you a good person?  Are you giving? Are you kind? Are you smart? Are you meaningful?

All of these answers come from within your existence, and those answers are the ones that matter.  What you think and feel inside your being, where nobody else can see, define you. To make sure that you are positive on the inside, you need to develop your awareness of the conscious thoughts you have about yourself and your abilities. These thoughts will determine way more about your knowledge and what you can accomplish than anything outside of you. The ideas you entertain, the emotions a person connects to, the words you speak because of these thoughts, and of course, the resulting actions that create your reality daily in life.

All Things Were Created Inside

There is no object in the physical world a person created without being a thought inside someone’s head first.  When you think about this, your appreciation for what is happening inside of you grows.  You can develop the next significant invention because all you need to get started is a working mind and the ability to follow through with your thoughts.  The thought is just a first step, and if no other measures are taken, your creation will stay just an idea.

To bring a thought into reality takes making a plan. Things created in the brain can become a reality, but a person needs to develop steps to bring those things into existence.  That is all from the inside of you as well. It can be demanding as you get the inside stuff into reality. Some might not like it, or they may be jealous or have some other adverse reaction.  The key is to remember, those are outside things and have little to do with your inner thoughts and vision unless you let them.  If the first thing you try doesn’t work, don’t give up. Learn the lesson and move forward and adjust your steps to accommodate new information. Follow the process until the inside idea becomes an outside reality.

Our Resolve Comes From Inside

Challenges are a part of life. We get a push by the experiences we face. All beings are touched with a problem or two. These experiences give us the inspiration we often need to dig inside of ourselves and learn what we are made of on the inside.  Because whatever happens outside, the real struggle comes within each of us. Out provides the test, inside decides how we fair against it.

A river of power flows deep in each of us, untouched for most of our lives. Yet in this current is located an innate ability to perform in big moments. When your focus is on the outside, these abilities lay dormant and never rise to the top where they can help you inside and improve the outside world. The outside world can say anything it wants and offer to help, but it is our strength and the choices that will define who we are going to be in life.

Treat Yourself Well on the Inside

How you talk to yourself will be one of the most significant factors in how much you are going to be able to accomplish in this life. There is a voice that speaks to you in your head all the time.  It forms when we are young, and it speaks to you in the same manner the critical adults in your childhood talked to you.  If your parents were caring, loving, and understanding, then so is your voice. If they were judgmental, fearful, and negative, so is your vote.  Listen to your inner voice and the self-talk that results.

All of this comes from inside of you, and nobody else can hear it or judge it.  So it is totally up to you if you decide to listen to how you speak to yourself. If it is negative, many problems stem from this, from a lack of confidence to a lack of self-esteem. But the fix is easy, change the voice, and that can only happen through conscious effort.  Speak to yourself as you would speak to someone you care about very much. Use kindness, understanding, and love to make yourself feel better.  Changing the self-talk you hear every day from negative to positive will allow you to become a kinder and more giving version of yourself.  That inside change makes the outside world a much better place.

Finally Inside

Nobody can see the inside strength that exists in you. You have to seek it out before you find it. It probably won’t happen if you spend your life being distracted by other things, entertainment, shopping, drugs, or alcohol. It will only come to you when you consciously make an effort to look at how you think and feel inside. The emotions that were resulting lead to the words you speak. All of it is based on your inner feelings, and of course, the resulting actions bring your right ideas to the outside world. Nobody can read your mind.

‘Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript oƒ a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you are already that.’ -Rumi.

“There is a life force within your soul. Seek that life.
There is a gem in the mountain of your body, seek that mine.
O traveler, if you are in search of that.
Don’t look outside, look inside yourself, and seek that.” -Rumi

“Why compare yourself with others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.” -Eric Thomas.

 

21

Choice Defines You

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Choice- an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.  Something we all struggle with because we are always worried we will choose wrong.

What choices will you make today?

There is freedom that exists in every choice we make.  From the seemingly meaningless routines of the day to the most complicated interpersonal decisions, the choice of your thoughts, words, and actions always lies exclusively with you alone. That is an excellent and sometimes frightening proposition. But that is part of the joy of life. So I am trying to remember for myself and urge you to make the choices your heart is encouraging you to make. Even if they turn out to have challenges, you will have the ability to create new opportunities and move in another direction.  Each moment of life is a choice, and you create your character with the decisions you make, so choose well.

Daily Choices

The average person makes approximately 35,000 choices in a day. Many decisions arrive using our subconscious mind, and the automatic programming we have been collecting all your life. choiceThere is no conscious thought behind them. They might include, what you eat, what you wear, when you eat, the route you take to work, the places you stop along the way, the coffee you drink, the activities you participate in, or any number of things. There is a missed chance for consciousness in every choice we make on automatic pilot.

Every moment of the day is an opportunity to choose who you want to be. Honesty or lies? Kindness or meanness? Judgment or acceptance? Peace or anger?  These are just a few things that you choose at each moment of your life, and they determine who you are.  If you are unhappy with a portion of your life, then you have the power to choose another path for yourself. If you hate your job, decide to find another or find a way to make it more enjoyable.  If you are unhappy with your relationships, choose to work on what bothers you or select to end them. Be prepared to accept the freedom and responsibility of the results of your choices.

Choosing Our Reaction

There are moments in life that are out of our control, and we have no choice in them and certainly wouldn’t want to experience them. Natural disasters, the death of a loved one, job loss, the poor behavior of another are examples of things out of our control that no sane person would choose.  But we always have a choice in how we react to these unfortunate things.

Life is never a smooth road, there are bumps and challenges all the time, and they are there to allow for your growth. You choose how you deal with them. Do you become bitter or learn to be more accepting? Do you stay stuck in the past or move forward into the future? Do you give up? Or do you rebuild? Each choice will define you until the next opportunity comes along to change it. In the end, you are going to be responsible for the life you live.   We can make all the excuses we want. The choices we make in thought, words, and actions will tell the true story of our life. What choices are you making today?

Honoring Choices

I hope that more people will look at their choices and ask if they are things that will accept them. Only you can decide what thought, word, or action will bring honor to you or not.  I know that there have been times I made poor choices that did not honor my life for me. They were mistakes, and hopefully, I have learned from them and make more honoring preferences with that experience.

If you can be conscious enough to ask yourself in all small choices, does this honor me? You will get an answer, and that will guide you if you listen. It is essential in the manner you choose to treat other people. If you lie or cause harm to someone willingly, then you can expect those poor choices to become a part of your life for a while. It is just that you won’t be the giver of pain and suffering; you will be on the receiving end.

Be conscious of all of your choices today in thought, words, and actions.

“At some point in our life, everyone must decide if they are a creator or a critic, a lover or a hater, a giver, or a taker.” ~ Unknown

“Make good choices today, so you don’t have regrets tomorrow.” Anonymous

“Every day brings new choices.” Martha Beck

“Life is all about making choices. Always do your best to make the right ones, and always do your best to learn from the wrong ones.” Anonymous

“Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” John C. Maxwell

“Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you have made. If you want a different result, make a different choice.” Anonymous

“Every morning, you have two choices: Continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase your dreams. The choice is yours.” Anonymous

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley

I have written about choice quite a lot in the past.

Crossroad Choices

Even more on this page

DPT

The Choices that Define you

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Daily positive Thought Project –

The Choices that Define You

Each thought we choose to focus on defines our life. Either subconscious or conscious our thoughts bring an energy to our life. If our thoughts are negative, judgmental, or fear based we  experience one thing

If our thoughts are positive, accepting, kind and loving we experience another thing.  We make the choice every day what those are.

Are you a critic or creator- Someone who looks into themselves and creates something new and powerful or do you spend your time criticizing the efforts of others.  Your choice defines you.

Do you choose love or fear? The most basic choice we have in all things. We choose to be kind, understanding, compassionate and caring in all of our thoughts or

We choose to be judgmental, mean, critical, and hateful toward someone else.  This is the most rudimentary way we define our experience with the choice.

Which choice defines you today?

 

Do you choose to give or take?   Do you contribute to the positive experience that others have in life or are you more worried about what is in it for you.  This is a basic choice we make which brings the basic joy of life or lack thereof. Look for ways you can contribute to the happiness of others.

 

Who do you want to be in your life? What do you want people to remember about you? All of this is totally in the hands of the Choices  you make each day.

 

What choices are defining you today?