Many years ago, I attended a seminar given by Caroline Myss in Los Angeles, CA. During the course of the seminar, one young man raised his hand and asked a question. It seems he was confused, not yet knowing what to do with his life and facing a variety of job offers and opportunities. But he was stuck because he had no idea which one to take. He listed them off, one by one, there were five total. He asked Caroline what he should do, how could he possibly know which one would be the right one, the best one, when he wasn’t even sure of his direction.
Her answer still plays in my mind today as she replied to his question. “It doesn’t matter WHAT you choose, just choose SOMETHING. Make a decision, just choose one and do it.” She went on to say that through the act of making a decision, a purposeful choice, he would begin to see what he wanted and that choosing any one of those opportunities would eventually lead him to the place he is meant to be. She finished by saying, “You have until 12:00 noon tomorrow to decide.”
His question resonated with me because I too have found myself in that place many times throughout my life, asking, “What should I do?” “Which choice is the right one?” And there began the battle between heart and mind. There have been many times when I didn’t know, so I didn’t choose, and unfortunately, that inability to decide made my choices for me.
How many times have we decided to just wait and see what happens? Isn’t that just another way of not making a decision? If so, it’s not a very good way of going about it. Like the band Rush says beautifully in their song, Freewill, “If you choose not too decide you still have made a choice.” Without making a decision, we are powerless to manifest what we truly want and lose confidence and belief in ourselves in the process.
So here’s a suggestion to try the next time you need to make a decision and you’re not sure how to make it. Realize that it’s not about making the “right” or the “wrong” choice, it’s about deciding what experience you want to have. Be sure to bring your heart into the decision making process and see what it wants. We get so caught up in making the “right” choice that we lose touch with the experiential nature of life itself and therefore miss out on the ability to allow our heart and intuition to play a role in the decision making process.
Is it time for you to make a decision about something? If there were no right or wrong choices, what experience would you choose to have right now? Which experience would make your heart happy?
Bambi,
Thanks for such a powerful post. I used to always let nature make my decisions for me, thinking whatever happens is the way it should be. I have to admit that sometimes it was EASIER to NOT make a decision, however it wasn’t for my benefit in the long run. It wasn’t until recently, the last few years, have I decided to be the creator in my own life and that sometimes means making tough choices. However they always have worked out and I have a new sense of empowerment. Empowerment that I have only begun to experience.
Much love,
Maryann
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I agree that we sometimes become stuck when we have big decisions to make. The important thing is to take action. The world needs happy, self-determining people. It’s important that we find a natural momentum in our actions. This allows us to feel in sync with the world and in the flow of life! Thank you Bambi. This is a lovely article.