Importance of Self

I am important.  It is okay to remind ourselves of that occasionally.  I don't recommend reciting it as a mantra or conversation starter, lest you overestimate your self-worth and bruise your pride.  But it is a pertinent reminder, especially timely when life gets messy.  And I don't know about you, but life seems to do that a lot.  Be messy. Complicated.  Crazy.  Also known as life.  Some days, it would be so much easier to turn off the cell phone, close out the world, and pretend that you are in control.  And as a temporary refuge, it works.  But that may be the best time to remember your importance.  Because, not only does your hiatus affect your view of the world (oftentimes jaded as seen from a distance), it also affects those around you.  Not sure why, but I seem to find it easier to do things for other people than for myself.  So, it is better for me to recognize the negative impact my actions have towards others, because I am more likely to rectify the situation.  So before barricading the door and turning up the music, stop to think - who am I shutting out?  And on any other day, would I want to do that?  If, as I suspect, the answer is no, take a few minutes and remind yourself - I am important.  Important enough to matter to someone else.  That makes it a good day, in my book.  So, if for no other reason, make a choice to participate in life today on whatever level you can, knowing that you play a significant role in someone's life, whether you realize it or not.  And don't forget to thank the people in your life for giving you those reasons to stay connected.  It is one more reminder that we are not meant to exclude others from our lives.      

Decisions

We are constantly making decisions in our lives, for our lives, and about our lives.  Every day we decide to get up, and when, to eat, or not, what to wear, how to look, what to say, how to act, and much, much more.  Those are what I would term the 'obvious' decisions in our lives.  But occasionally we are faced with the 'tougher' choices in life.  Do I buy a house, should I take that job, can we start a family, etc. etc. etc.  Now we're getting into the bigger things, those potentially life-changing events.  And while I personally prefer things in black and white so I can carefully analyze the situation and choose the correct course of action, I'm beginning to think that there is no 'right or wrong' when it comes to life decisions.  Okay, if you don't prayerfully consider your options, and you act in a way that is contrary to God's plan, I suppose it might be a harder swim up the stream.  But, for better or worse, some of the big decisions in life don't come with a neon sign to help you choose, nor do they offer a guarantee of happiness.  It is not a matter of picking one so everything will be fine.  I believe that either direction will move you, it's more a matter of which direction you want to go.  I know, that's a pretty vague response.  But perhaps it isn't just about the the path that you take on your journey, but rather the destination that you reach.  And we all know there are many ways to get to point A from point B.  Obviously, the shortest distance is a straight line.  But walking that straight line is like walking a tightrope - not many people are successful at it on the first try.  For me, my path tends to curve, maybe goes up a hill or down a valley.  Sometimes I think it is blocked by boulders, but that's just because I forget to follow the signs.  I don't know that I'll ever walk a path using the easiest route, but that is part of my journey.  I am where I am because of what I've gone through to get here.  I try to remember that when presented with a question mark, I can only base my decision on the information I have at that moment in time.  No option to peek into a crystal ball or use that 20/20 hindsight.  I know one of my challenges when faced with a big decision is that choosing one option eliminates another.  So instead of seeing it as positive movement, I see it as a limitation.  A simplistic example - choosing to read a book means I removed the option of watching a movie instead.  Of course, I tend to forget that I could always watch the movie AFTER reading the book, or if I'm really up for a challenge, while I'm reading the book.  I have to remember that just because I chose option A, I could always choose option B next.  Yes, I know that the circumstances will never be the same, but life is made up of moments of time, and time keeps moving whether we choose to or not.  Even if I move in one direction and decide later that it was wrong, at least I moved.  Any movement is better than no movement at all.  And there comes a point when it's just time - I've prayed, I've worried, I've pondered my options and analyzed them to death.  All that is left is to act!