Daily Inspiration 9-1-12

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." -- Denis Waitley When someone is ready for a change, the opportunity will present itself in numerous ways. In all of them however, there is one common thread that I have found, and that is they can and will when they make a conscious choice to change. Change may seem to be forced on some, but it's not. It's a choice to change, or to choose to remain where they are.   There may be all sorts of reasons why they stay where they are, perhaps even many people and organizations to blame for their situation, but none of that matters at all. It is only their choice to remain regardless of the stories.   At the same time, when someone finally decides to change. Maybe they kick a less than complimentary habit, change their attitude, physical attributes, or career. When this happens, it is fully up to the person making the decision not only to do the thing; that is, make the change, but to stay on the path or not.   I ran into a friend a couple of weeks ago who smoked most of his life. He finally quit the cigarettes a little over a year ago, and when I recently saw him, he had a cigarette in his hand puffing away. I said, 'I thought you finally quit!' Well, he gave some sort of work related reason for going back to the cigarettes a few months back. That is BS. It was a personal decision without any outside influences at all. They are just the story line to make it sound acceptable, or make it understandable.   I do understand. I gave up cigarettes a little over ten years ago. I have had thousands of reasons and opportunities, so-called legitimate causes that could have had me back on the nicotine, but I just said yes to my decision and no to the intrusion. I gave them up for a number of good reasons, but it isn't even any of that. Those are stories too. It is just that I made a choice and I am honoring and liking my own choice, so I stick with it. You could say that I am making a choice moment by moment.   Drinking is another one of those things that people play around with saying things such as, 'I fell off the wagon, or the pressure on me was enormous and I couldn't take it,' and other whimpering. All stories. You start drinking again because you are making a choice and that choice needs no support. You can make it at any time. To avoid going back to it requires only one thing: a choice to say yes to your choice and no to the interruption. It doesn't matter a bit what other people think or say. It has to be your own choice always.   Having made a choice and stuck with it, I can see how easy it really is. I can make a different choice at any point in time. Or, I can continue to support the choice I already made. And the good news is that the more I support the choice, the more the choice supports me.

It's Not About The Future Or The Past. It's Only And Always, Right Here And Right Now--And, It's YOU.   Spread Some Joy Today--Add to your master list of appreciation today. Or, start one.