“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Life teems with choice and decision. Some are difficult, while others are easy. Some test the loom upon which the very fabric of our lives is woven. And upon the precipice of choice we may also find resounding voices–those that are not our own.

We all come to these critical points as we dwell within the many spheres that visit our lives.

All decisions affect not only our life, but the lives of others as well. The choice of food that we nourish our bodies with has consequences that can be witnessed in minutes, and others that may not be seen for many years. Our choice of words can immediately defeat or uplift a stranger, a loved one or a friend. And our choice of actions may alter the course of world history, or at the very least, our own personal history.

But many of these choices are made almost involuntarily, influenced by thoughts that do not belong to our hearts.

I used to be worried about every move that I ever made, about every word that I would utter and every action that I took. I wasn’t worried about the causal outcome of my words or actions, but of the response from those around me. In doing this, I placed myself into a protective shell that grew dense over many years. And many of us are familiar with this.

I was called shy, withdrawn, reserved, introverted and anti-social. But this was never who I truly was. I felt comfortable being quiet, so I stayed where I found comfort.

But the day came when I no longer visited those thoughts that brought me worry. I found strength in my own hands, through creative pleasure and my own God-given gifts. I realized that I only worried over my perception of another person’s perception. It was my own thoughts that worried me, and nothing else.

Then I realized one beautiful truth…

Don’t believe everything that you think.

Today, I embrace who I am. I speak my deepest thoughts, and am not afraid to share my life with anyone. Of course I’m still full of cynicism, sarcasm and a host of other idiosyncrasies, but who isn’t?

I’ve made countless choices that have taught me great truth, and if anyone asked me to correct anything in my past, I can honestly say the thought itself is impossible.

Because everything that I’ve done has brought me here, to this moment.

Had I not decided to move to a new place instead of staying home, I may not have a daughter. Had I chosen to stay just one day longer in Colorado, I may not have a son. So revisiting my perceived past “what-if’s” or otherwise “difficult” choices brings me to knowing that my options were on my path for a reason.

As is everything… And everyone.

We should be wise to not give our choices up to the resounding doubt that speaks to us from the dark corners of the mind. We should never step out of our own light to appease the shadows of a crowd, or to play it safe and stay comfortable in a hardened shell made of our own mind’s treachery.

These are lessons that I’ve learned, and though I am where I am in life because of choices I’ve made from these metrics, I’ve come far from the mist that once covered the hidden garden. I now choose wisely, and listen to my heart as it softly speaks.

I wish all to hear their true voice, and to be sound and content in speaking their own truth as it should be done by one’s own accord.

Life is full of Choices…

And full of Voices…

So, choose wisely.

And Speak your Own.

 

~via TheHeartSphere.com