While there is much beauty in depth and understanding, the results of this can be rich and complicated and requires much time and attention to remember all what you have learnt.
And this is why I believe the true power lies in then taking these rich learnings and making it simple again. We can all remember a few words so instead of trying to cram everything we could possibly know rather “dumb it up” to a few words 🙂
And this quote from H.G. Wells does exactly that, it is simple and powerful and reminds you exactly who is in charge of how you experience life. And if you didn’t figure it out yet, the answer is you.
Reflecting on the quote itself, its only until we decide that we can’t does it become true through our decision and subsequent actions. The inspiration and hope is that we can always choose what to do. No one is saying the choice is easy and sometimes it could ask too much of you – the “dumb it up” point is that you always have a choice of how to see it and what to do.
There is a time and place to rest, to stand up and fight, to listen, to laugh, to explore and to walk away. The difficulty is that you have to know and trust yourself and your decision. There isn’t an one fit all decision for each situation but what is genuinely similar in each situation is the power you have to decide.
No matter how difficult or how easy things appear, its how you decide to feel about the challenge ahead and what your expectation is. And key here is that your decision is impacted by how you feel in this moment.
Think about it, if you haven’t had much sleep, you have hurt your back, you have the flu and you are asked to climb a mountain you immediately will think that is impossible. But have you considered when you are going to climb the mountain – if the day comes and all these symptoms are no longer there – your feelings and attitude and ultimately your decision will be different. You might not be jumping up and down and saying I’m in, but you won’t be immediately thinking its impossible either.
How about we take this insight a step further and see how you can begin being your own “life coach” right now and make a conscious decision?
Start with the following simple 3 steps:
Notice how you are feeling. Are you tired, sore, sick? If so, try to
delay the tough decisions as you will be influenced by your current
symptoms. If you need to carry one, bring this awareness into your decision making.
Once you are rested and have taken care of your aches, then unpack the decision. Remember that there are many options – if it helps – write them down, there are never just two answers.
Make your decision by taking into account what you are wanting to achieve. Reflect on how this decision will impact you and others, are you at peace with this? If so, hold the decision for one day and when
you sleep tonight – see if you sleep easy or are restless and uncomfortable. This is a beautiful indication of how the decision you
are making sits with all of you. Start again if you realise the decision needs more thought.
May the force be with you always 🙂