“Lets get out of here Kim cried. Great ideal you think. But where to? If you head down the mountain the lion will attack. And if you climb up, you’ll have to face the zombie!
If you go down towards the mount lion, turn to PAGE 101
If you head up toward the zombie, turn to PAGE 54”
R.L STINE
Why was I like so many other children of the 80’s and 90’s obsessed with the popular novel series ‘Choose your own adventure’? Because it provided the reader with options. It allowed me to feel like I was in control and that I had an influence on the final outcome.
If you go down towards the mount lion, turn to PAGE 101
If you head up toward the zombie, turn to PAGE 54”
R.L STINE
Why was I like so many other children of the 80’s and 90’s obsessed with the popular novel series ‘Choose your own adventure’? Because it provided the reader with options. It allowed me to feel like I was in control and that I had an influence on the final outcome.
But that was just a book right? Surely it has nothing to do with the bigger picture; it has nothing to do with real life - or does it? As we grow and mature we forget about the art of ‘choosing what we want’. We start to believe whole heartedly that our happiness is determined by the people and situations that surround us and that ‘choosing’ what we really want is selfish.
Before we begin todays blog I would like to share a question that was once posed to me. How do you live your life? Are you a leaf or a feather that blows in the wind? Being taken on a physical and emotional roller coaster ride - blown by the current from one event to another? Or are you the wind - an unstoppable force choosing the direction you go, taking control of the situation and bring others along for the ride?’
Before we begin todays blog I would like to share a question that was once posed to me. How do you live your life? Are you a leaf or a feather that blows in the wind? Being taken on a physical and emotional roller coaster ride - blown by the current from one event to another? Or are you the wind - an unstoppable force choosing the direction you go, taking control of the situation and bring others along for the ride?’
Interesting and powerful question isn’t it?
As much as most of you would like to answer that you are the wind, in reality very few of us are actually living life in this manner. But you could if you wanted to right? I dare say as soon as many of you read the last line that there was a little voice inside your head that became defensive and started listing all the reasons that it is not possible to live life in this way. If you’re anything like me most of the reasons will boil down to one of two things - Number 1, it would be selfish to do so and Number 2, that there are things that happen in your life that are out of your control - both sound like legitimate reasons on the surface but when we drill down and look a little deeper we will find that they are excuses to cover up that feeling of fear - that you really are the one in control and you’re petrified that you may just stuff it all up.
As much as most of you would like to answer that you are the wind, in reality very few of us are actually living life in this manner. But you could if you wanted to right? I dare say as soon as many of you read the last line that there was a little voice inside your head that became defensive and started listing all the reasons that it is not possible to live life in this way. If you’re anything like me most of the reasons will boil down to one of two things - Number 1, it would be selfish to do so and Number 2, that there are things that happen in your life that are out of your control - both sound like legitimate reasons on the surface but when we drill down and look a little deeper we will find that they are excuses to cover up that feeling of fear - that you really are the one in control and you’re petrified that you may just stuff it all up.
People who live life from a formidable position know the power of choice. They know that each situation can have multiple meanings and that they are the one who assigns the significance to the event. By choosing to see all of their options and selecting the meaning that most empowers them most, they’re taking control of the situation rather then letting the situation control them - they are acting like the wind and moving their life in the direction they want to go rather then being blown around aimlessly like a feather or leaf in the breeze.
So let me ask you when was the last time that something happened to you and you asked yourself one of the following questions:
1. What else could this mean? or
2. How else could I look at this situation that would allow me to learn or be more powerful and resourceful?’
So let me ask you when was the last time that something happened to you and you asked yourself one of the following questions:
1. What else could this mean? or
2. How else could I look at this situation that would allow me to learn or be more powerful and resourceful?’
I choose to believe that some of you are asking yourself these types of questions but the reality is different. We tend to assume what things mean in an instant - its a part of our evolution as we have previously discussed. What would if be like if you did include these questions in your thought process? What kind of changes would they allow you to make and how would they affect the way that you react to life’s little situations?
It is possible that if you started to include these two simple questions in your every day life that you may find your stress levels start to slowly melt away. The majority of stress in our lives is the result of us feeling like we have no control over the situation or that we are fighting against everything to keep us on track. What would it be like if something happened and rather then automatically reacting to the situation and assigning it meaning you were able to take a step back, come up with multiple meanings and then choose the one that is most helpful to you in this situation? Only you will be able to say what a difference this would make in your life.
So try out those two questions.
1. What else could this mean? or
2. How else could I look at this situation that would allow me to learn or be more powerful and resourceful?’
Todays blog is deliberately brief because often it’s the simple things in life that make the biggest impact. By asking these two simple questions and coming up with multiple options you will open your mind and your world to other possibilities. Have fun with this - throw in some random off the cuff options as well to keep it light and you really will be living life like your very own choose your own adventure novel!
To ensure that you receive all of the latest postings visit my Facebook page and click on the ‘Like’ button. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Vids/256234771090470
Until we meet again.
Dan
1. What else could this mean? or
2. How else could I look at this situation that would allow me to learn or be more powerful and resourceful?’
Todays blog is deliberately brief because often it’s the simple things in life that make the biggest impact. By asking these two simple questions and coming up with multiple options you will open your mind and your world to other possibilities. Have fun with this - throw in some random off the cuff options as well to keep it light and you really will be living life like your very own choose your own adventure novel!
To ensure that you receive all of the latest postings visit my Facebook page and click on the ‘Like’ button. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Vids/256234771090470
Until we meet again.
Dan
