Choose Your Own Ending

Choose your own ending – do you remember those books?  The ones where you could read up to a certain point, and then choose how the story would continue? Or end?  What a pleasure they were.  I remember trying to figure out how many different combinations I could make – and then trying to figure out from that which one was the perfect story, in my opinion.  I also remember having a distinct feeling of wishing that life could be like these ingenious storybooks: full of adventure, and choices.

Now, many years later, I think longingly of those books – with one major difference: I now understand that life IS like the books.  We can choose our own adventures and our own endings.  So much of what we experience on a daily basis is a direct result of our choices.  It may have been from an immediate decision, or it may have been from a long-ago decision made in a different place and time.  The thing is – everything happens because of choices we make.  And every choice we make, has a different “ending” attached to it.

When looked at from this perspective, it can be a little scary; and, in fact, it may invite indecision and inactivity – because of fear.  Fear of making the “wrong” decision.  But, what if there were no “wrong” choices?  What if we could accept that all of our choices have led us to another decision? Another option? Another ending?  Just like the books, we could be the masters of our own destiny – manifesting our futures, and truly experiencing our present.  The one thing that’s different is that in the books, if we didn’t like the way something was going, we could stop, turn back to the previous section, and choose another path.  In life, that’s not as easy.  But I’m here to say: it’s also not impossible.

I remember reading one of the books, choosing an ending, and when I turned the page – it was, quite literally, an ending.  The story ended.  There was one or two paragraphs, and that was it.  Well – I wasn’t about to let it end there, so I went backwards, and moved forwards again.  I made a decision to not accept the ending I had originally chosen, and instead I paused, took a few steps backward, and made a new choice.  And the story continued.  I wasn’t ready to put the book down – I wanted the path I was on to keep going.

In looking at this example – we can see the choice I originally made as an obstacle.  I chose something that put an obstacle directly in my path – a path I was enjoying.  I could have stopped, frustrated, angry and sad – or I could pause, re-assess and move forward once more.  This was a choice.  Just as the first decision was a choice.  There was no shame in stopping and reevaluating and choosing something else.  There was just the action of doing so, because it was more consistent with where I was, what I was doing AND what I wanted.

What if we could do the same in life?  What if we were able to pause, without judgment or shame, reevaluate, and move forward in a different direction?  What if we allowed ourselves the freedom to choose our own ending?  And what if we woke up to the realization and truth that our life, and all its events, are the result of our choices along the way?  How would that affect us going forward?  Would we be more deliberate in choosing our words? Our actions? Our relationships? Our careers?  Would we, in fact, take more time to make decisions that are consistent with WHO we are, instead of WHAT we are?  And what would the result be?

These are all questions I ask of myself every day – and the best part is, there is no “wrong” (or "right”) answer.  There are just answers. And thought.  And just as today I am in this one position on my path – a week from now I may be in a different space entirely, and the answers to those questions might also be different.  And that’s ok.  Because it’s the awareness that matters.  It’s the awareness and acceptance of the role choices play in our lives on a daily basis that allows us the freedom to create our own future.  It’s choice that empowers us to be who we are, and realize our goals and dreams.

So – how do you make your decisions?  What plays a role in your choices?  Are you even aware of the choices you make?  This week I am introducing something new:

THree THings to THink about (from SynTHesis)

Body: What did you choose to eat this week, or today?  Are you nurturing your body?  Providing fuel for the body to be supportive and strong?

Mind: What thought patterns or beliefs do you have running over and over in your head that impact your decisions?  Name one. Identify it, and acknowledge it.  (and don’t judge yourself for having it!) ;-)

Spirit: Did you choose to skip meditating today?  If not meditation, how about just listening to music for half an hour?  What choice could you make that would allow your spirit time to pause and reconnect with your mind and body?

In love and light,

Martina

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