How the heck did I get here?

It sounds very cliche.

One day, you wake up and say I’m (fill in the blank) years old and how did I ever wind up with the life I have today.

Of course, it could mean that you are living the life of your dreams or the life of your nightmares. But, for most of us, it’s somewhere in between. 

Do you remember the game of “Life”? I’m talking about the actual board game. In my mind, I see that winding road game board and my car with three blue pegs and one pink (myself, hubby and two sons) traveling down the road. Sometimes, I get paid while other times I need to make a payment. Whatever number I roll determines my next move and where I land. I had always just assumed that this was an accurate representation of our real lives.

It’s a roll of the dice to see where you’ll end up next. It’s all just luck.

A few years ago, something (I wish I knew what the “something” was) made me stop and explore that theory. I started doing some investigating on my own by listening to podcasts, reading books and signing up for courses. It was all very enlightening. My theory had been partially correct. The half I had right was that many of our circumstances are out of our control. They are truly just a roll of the dice.

However, I was missing the most important piece of the puzzle. 

Each of us has a lot more control over our lives than I had previously determined. We decide how to respond to our circumstances. We decide how we think about our circumstances. We decide to possibly change our circumstances. We are each faced with more than a hundred decisions in a day. These decisions have the power to change the course of our lives. 

Our problems often feel insurmountable or that any solution would take years to come to fruition. Well, even if that’s true, if you don’t take action or don’t take different action,  a few years from now you’ll be in the same position you are today most likely wishing you had done something about it. The years will pass regardless, so doesn’t it make sense to be proactive and take charge of your life?

In the end, life really is a game, but it’s not a game of chance. It’s a game of choices.

Choices that have the power to change your life completely. Isn’t it eye opening to realize that you are in charge of what happens next?

If you’re like me, you might have wished you had learned this secret sooner, but who cares? You know it now and it’s up to you to make different choices, take different paths and live the life you’ve always wanted. 

As Glinda, the good witch said: “You’ve always had the power my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.”

Until next time,
Debbie