When You Know, You Just Know.

Don't ignore the tickle in the back of your throat, the stomach knots, and the flash of fear pulsing through your nerve endings. They tell you all you need to know before you spend the your entire night tossing and turning for an answer. There's a science to this - I'm convinced. Science just hasn't been able to explain how yet.

Just humor me for a second - when has that 6th sense ever failed you? It's never failed me. Sometimes I think it does. Sometimes I think I've made the wrong decision, but time always reassures me that it was the right choice  in the end. We have a choice in life to be one of two types of people: stuck or free. That sounds really rough, and perhaps there is a less harsh way of describing that, but that's what I widdled it down to. And the hardest part about differentiating between the two is that you can't always. It's insane that even right now in my present state I may not be able to tell the difference between when something is holding me back or when I'm doing it to myself. Listen to your gut.

You know that feeling like you've been punched or you want to throw up by just imagining a scenario? There's a lot that can be said for raw emotion, but even then it's not the same as the flash of fear - like when it comes down to the buzzer. Someone once shared a picture with me of a coin being tossed into the air. The caption read:

When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. 

It works not because it settles the question for you, 

but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, 

you suddenly know what you are hoping for.

It may seem simplistic but ever since I pictured that in my head that's how I make decisions. Because deep down we know how awful it would be to be stuck with the second best option. To be stuck wondering, "What could have been"? I'd rather be free to make my own mistakes than live out someone else's on my behalf. 

All nausea and heart wrenching pain aside - there's no substitute for the adrenaline, the euphoria, of following your instincts and breaking free. No more wishes. You control your own destiny... just like you control the coin toss. 

Pay it Forward

Recent events have caused me to think about what really is important in my life, what makes me happy and what the standards I measure all my decisions on are. I have concluded that it's pretty simple: I'm most happy when I am making other people happy. It's like this, I love being around my friends because it's always happy for everyone. Someone makes me laugh, then I make someone else laugh and for that moment everything in the world is perfect. There's no worrying or stressed involved in this exchange. I get such a high from it, because honestly, think about that moment when you are just laughing uncontrollably from your core -- it's as close to a state of utopia as anyone could wish to be in. Same goes for being in love, that deep down warm feeling you get all over just thinking about someone you love instantly makes you happier. So being in a loving relationship where those passionate feelings are mutually shared is pure happiness because each person is happy the other one is happy, and that makes them happy. And being in relationships like these causes everyone who's involved to try their best to make sure everyone else is happy and gets what they deserve (which is only the best). Sure there may be hard times here and there, but a true friend knows when to leave, when to let go, when to apologize, and when to stand by your side... depending on what action will make the other person happy. Even when it comes to my jobs I can see why I enjoy then so much compared to older ones because now I am interacting with people, helping them find perfect gifts to give to their favorite people in the world. It's like this never ending happiness cycle, not sure why... I just feel most accomplished when I know I’m making a difference in someone's life, big or small. Even if it’s just making someone smile, or being there to listen to someone - you would not believe how many people out there are dying to talk to someone and who just need someone to listen. My standards are basically the same (and yours should be too), life is too short to be around people who make you feel bad. I am a very forgiving person but that doesn't mean I forget bad things people have done to me. For every mean spirited word someone has spoken to me it's hindered my relationship with that person. Trust is hard to build up but the easiest thing to take away. Be careful with your words, they can pierce through someone's heart with more force and less effort than with a blade. Likewise the scar it leaves behind will always stay with that person, and regret like that can eat you up inside.
If you stay positive and try to be the best possible version of yourself to everyone you meet life will be so much more rewarding and enjoyable, not only to you but everyone around you. If you get in a slump the ultimate comeback is to focus on what makes you happy in life. Good things will follow a happy heart with nothing but good intentions. Life is good.

Original Post : Friday, June 20, 2008 at 12:27am