Conscious Choices

How often do we make choices from a conscious place rather than a place driven by fear or the pressure of deadlines and crazy schedules?

When our choices stem from distorted programming, guess what? So do the results of our choices. Sending us into process, no doubt to help us see that what we chose was driven from an unconscious place.

Awareness and understanding is always the first step but we need to follow it up with action. Through our new behaviours and habits, we create a life that reflects our state of being. So, in other words, choose consciously.

I suggest a personal story here as otherwise this piece runs the risk of being too ‘judgey/ advice-giving’ without establishing trust with the reader. For example, a situation where you made a choice that wasn’t conscious and what the repercussions were. It makes you sound more humble and approachable and illustrates your learning process.

Take a moment to stop and ask yourself the following questions before making a choice.

Am I clear if this choice is right for me? A Yes really is a Yes but anything other is a No. If it’s a Maybe, it’s still a No for now, as time can change our decision-making process. Be careful not to use your mind to override this clarity with reason or logic. The body holds the wisdom.
Is this choice in alignment with my values? In other words, does it have integrity?
Does this choice bring me closer to my goals while maintaining my balance and self-care?
Do I feel that I have a choice? Often, we go into victim states, explaining and justifying why we have no choice. Question this and inquire into whether there are stuck belief systems underlying these choices.
Is your amount of Yes’s in balance with your No’s? A good way to have an overview of how healthy we are is by looking at the balance of Yin and Yang in our lives. Women can look to our menstrual cycle to get clarity on where we are out of balance. The pre-menstrual week (inner Autumn) is a time to say No and inner Spring (pre-ovulation) is a invitation to say Yes. Check out your balance. Anxiety lives in the future so over-planning and over-committing can be as much of a hindrance as a support.
Look at the motivation behind your choices. Be very honest with yourself.
Try and remember that it’s the journey not the destination. Any choice takes you on a journey – choose with awareness the journey you are prepared to go on.

x Annabelle