That is shocking, isn’t it? I am the queen of rambling. I often go off on tangents…but they aren’t really tangents. You see, my mind sometimes works faster than my mouth can verbalize. Often, I’ll spit out a question or thought without catching up the person I’m talking to. The seemingly strange new topic usually has something to do with the other person or conversation, but it’s not always obvious. For example, I was sitting in my living room with a few friends, and one of them was eating sour cream and cheddar potato chips. We were all talking about something – and as I spewed out my opinion to her, I ended my sentence with, “And those are one of my favorite flavors.” She furrowed her brow in confusion at first, smiling and as she glanced over to our other friend with a look of “What the hell is she talking about?” Then, because she knows me well, her brain finally caught up. Almost immediately after her look of confusion, she laughed and said, “Ohhhh! She’s talking about the chips. I got it now.”
Once you get to know me, you have a much better chance of following my train of thought, but until then, you’ll just have to read my blogs and try to figure it all out.
Or not.
It’s really up to you. Your choice. That’s the great thing about life. Choices. We have them. Every day.
You can choose to get out of bed. Or not.
You choose what to eat for breakfast in the morning, or to eat nothing at all.
You can choose to excel at your job, or be mediocre.
You can choose to be nice. Or mean. Or kind. Or harsh.
You can choose to go for a walk or a run. Or just sit on the couch.
You can choose to interact, or to ignore.
Some choices are really hard. We may put them off, or push them to the back of our list of things to do…but one day, when you least expect it, they will jump out at you like the monster in the closet. Because they can only stay hidden in the dark for so long. Eventually the choices you make, or don’t make, will bare their ugly, sharp teeth and come to meet you squarely in the eye.
For example, you may choose to eat crappy food every day. One day…those choices will attack full force and you probably won’t like what you see. You’ll cringe in fear and disgust. Perhaps, you’ll even be faced with some life threatening medical issues. Flip side: You may choose to start living healthier…walking, eating better…and one day, those choices will jump out at you too. And that monster will happily smile at you.
Or, what about that choice to be rude or nasty to a particular person in your life? Then, when you least expect it, that person will end up playing an important role in a new opportunity or decision that must be made with regard to your career or family. Everything comes full circle whether we like it, or not. The tricky part is, we never know when that circle is going to close. What I have learned in the past 3 years is that I don't ever want the circle to close and leave me with a feeling of regret. Because when that circle closes, the closet door opens...and the monster will either jump out at you, or simply stand there happily and give you a big, toothy grin.
Choices determine how we live, who we interact with and how we do it, every day. Who do we care about? How do we treat them? Which relationships drive us? Which ones push us down? How will we treat others? Each day that goes by, we create the kind of life we want to live and we create the kind of future we want to have. If you don’t like what you see, or where you are headed, change it. Make a different choice. Each choice can lead to a slightly different future. Eventually, you’ll get there. Or, you won’t. The choice is yours. Don’t ever think you are a spectator. This is your life. Your story. Your book to write. You are the main character and you get to decide where you will go. Possibilities are limitless.
You can choose to feel exhilarated and happy and experience all of the butterflies that life has to offer, or, you can choose to stand on the conveyer belt, simply moving through each day as life passes by around you and choices are made poorly or not made at all.
Personally, I like the butterflies.
Besides, they’re much better than the scary monster that hides in the closet. I try to keep him fed, and make better choices so he doesn’t decide to show his teeth to me one day. It’s my story. I get to write my own happy ending...and hope that the scary monster in the closet just keeps smiling.