I used to do this. Now I do something else. Same me, different role Photo Credit: MrWillWong.com
Hi, I’m Dawn. I’m a writer and an entrepreneur. What do you do?
Every time we meet someone new, one of the first things we do is categorize who we think they are by what they do for a living. We form judgments based on the ideas we have in our minds about what different professions look like.
If I tell you I am a writer, you have your impressions of what that means to you. It probably has nothing to do with me at all, but it gives you a starting place to try to understand who I am.
If I said I was a gambler and I make money betting sports, your conclusions about me would be different. I am still the same person, but the veil you see me through has changed.
What we do shouldn’t define who we are, but in this society it does. We deem others as more or less worthy by the occupation they perform.
Can I get a crystal ball before I make a decision? That wouldn’t be any fun though!
Good, bad, or ugly, we make them every day. Constantly. Actually, in every moment.
Most of our time is spent making the same decisions we always make. Decisions made over a period of time become habits, and these habits become so ingrained that they are difficult to change.
If your habits aren’t taking you where you want to go, it’s time to make a decision to change them!
The most liberating thought is knowing that you can change everything about your life and even who you are by making the decision to do so. Quite honestly, you can reinvent yourself completely in the span of 10 seconds.
Just do it becomes just decide it.
Hate your job? Then figure out how to change it. If you can’t find aspects of it to improve and enjoy, then it might be time to leave. Complaining about it doesn’t make anything better.
Make a decision one way or the other, and then take action. Once you set the wheels in motion you can change your work situation completely.
Hate your relationship? Before you change it, look at yourself first. Expecting another person to make you happy is unfair. If you are unhappy with yourself, it doesn’t matter what happens outside of you. You will still be unhappy. Work on yourself first and see if that changes the relationship too. If not, then you can make a decision about it then.
Hate your body? This one is the easiest because you can take steps right now to improve it. Change how you eat and exercise and decide in every moment that you want to be the best physical self you can be.
This all sounds so easy, and in reality it is. With each decision made in every moment, you are either moving towards something you want or away from it. The power is yours to do whatever you want.
Fear is the biggest impediment to initiating changes. We become comfortable with routines and with the illusion of security and safety, and inertia sets in. Change can be difficult, but the thought of being exactly where you are or even worse off five years from now should be a great motivator.
Without taking action and moving towards something, you are resigning yourself to staying stuck. That should cause more fear than the thought of change does.
Consider that all of us are here for a limited time. The realization of our own mortality can be the biggest motivator there is. If you don’t take action now, then when?
It isn’t about what we are doing, but the love and joy that we bring to each task that matters. Make the decision to be a peaceful, joyful entity and you can become that. Learn to step outside of the reactions you normally have and respond in a different way.
Make the decision to be who you want to be and then just do it!
