How many times in my life have habitual phrases such as this popped out of my mouth! I used to believe that someone ( in this case, my granddaughter) or something outside of me had power over what I said or did ( they made me...., it was ___________ fault! ). Not so anymore!
In every experience in my life I have had the power of choice. To clarify, I will always have a choice about how I respond to each experience. The experience itself is looks like it is being "controlled"; this is an illusion. How I respond ( emphasis on "I" ) determines what my actions will be in response to the experience.
My granddaughter cannot and never did drive me crazy! I chose to react in a crazy manner to her behavior. She was in no way responsible! Sometimes, most times, it doesn't look like this way in the world. But if you look closely at how people interact, you will see that some use others as the reason or excuse for their behavior and some choose to take 100% responsibility for their actions and responses. One has a hook; the other does not.
For example, today I woke up worrying about a person I loved. They were making choices that I was uncomfortable with. I was afraid of the effect that these choices might have on their future. As I spent time worrying, I took my dog for a walk. Then it dawned on me; I was choosing to worry. I could have chosen any number of other options - indifference, anger, eating drinking or smoking at it, bullying, begging, etc. The list is endless.
Well, today is my birthday and I am choosing to choose a positive response to my loved one's behavior. I am choosing joy, happiness, gratitude and compassion for myself and my loved one.
I choose to love my "loved one". I choose to pray for my "loved one". I choose to believe that my loved one is on their path to where they need to go. No one could tell me what path to take in my life; what makes me think I know what path is best for someone else.
And most of all, I choose to believe in a benevolent universe. There will always be challenges on this planet.... that is what we are here for. Our freedom comes from knowing that we can choose every minute of every day - choose how we respond, choose how we react, choose how we go forward in OUR life!
