It's all up to you.

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Some people seem to leave everything in life up to chance.  Others, have everything planned out to the smallest and simplest details, leaving absolutely nothing to chance.  There's a group of people who try to straddle both, not quite sure what the correct path is for anything.  In actuality your life is your life, and whatever happens in your life is entirely up to you.  Now there will be those who will argue about this until the cows come home, but facts are facts.  We create our own reality by the words we speak, the feelings we hold on to, and the thoughts we have at any given moment.  What I want you to think about today is what kind of life have you created for yourself.

We as humans, at least many of us, try as hard as we can to please those around us.  Now there's all kinds of reasons for this.  Some people simply want to be accepted and will do just about anything to fit into the cool crowd.  Others will do anything to be different, as if being different is being different at all since so many people have the same idea.  No matter where you fall on the scale it's always best to simply be yourself and don't worry what everyone else is doing.  Being true to yourself is really the only option you have if you want to experience life to the fullest.  Being true to yourself is really the only option you have if you want to walk in your destiny and fulfill the purpose for you being here.  Given the option to be the real you or simply be what others want you to be, what option do you think would be a better fit for you?

I spent the better part of my youth always looking for approval from others.  To be honest I did so many things in my life simply because I felt others would see what a great job I did and I would finally get the recognition I thought I deserved.  Yes I was very successful at most things, but truth be told not much of what I did was for me.  As much success as I had during my formative years, I still had an emptiness inside of me, and that void was not going to be filled by the praise and accolades I received from other people.  Granted I see that clearer today, and not so much back then when I was trying to please everyone else.  Here's the best rule of thumb:  be you, just you, and for you.  So many people will feel as though that when you do for yourself that is nothing more than just selfishness.  On the contrary, when you focus on you that is selflessness.  If you never focus on you then you are never going to realize how significant you are to the rest of the universe.  Far too many people see themselves as insignificant, and that is simply setting yourself up for failure.

I want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and start focusing on what is going to make you happy.  Start focusing on those things that are going to really bring you fulfillment.  Start seeing yourself as the center and not just someone who walks around the outside of things hoping that someday they will be in the middle of things.  If you are spending all of your time trying to fit in, you are going to be one unhappy camper when things seem to go all whacko on you.  What are the chances that you will always be able to do things in life that are going to make everyone happy?  It's highly unlikely that you are going to be able to do the right thing for everyone else especially when most of those other people haven't a clue as to what they really want in life.  Start focusing on you.  Start doing what makes you happy.  Begin to live the life you were intended to live and stop worrying what others might think or might say about your decisions.  There are millions of opinions out there from other people who have zero idea of who you really are, so why in the world would you ever feel as though you need to listen to those opinions?

How you live your life is totally up to you.  What you do next is totally up to you.  How you see things is totally up to you.  Stop giving in to what others think, and simply do what you know.  When it's all said and done you control you.  You can't blame others for the decisions you make so why not make decisions based on what is best for you and not someone else?  You can help others but stop helping others because you feel you have no other choice.  You always have a choice and I would recommend that you start making choices that are going to benefit you.  There is a time when helping others, being there for others, is appropriate, but if you have not taken the time to fill up your own tank, you will not have what it takes to help someone else.

Figure out those things that make you happy and go after them.  We only have a finite amount of time that we inhabit this body of ours.  If you are wasting time worrying about what others think about you then you are never going to get to the point in life where you are truly happy and content. It really is up to you how you are going to live your life.  Start living by loving who you are.  Start living life by loving where you are.  Be content and show appreciation and gratitude for all the many blessings that are present in your life.  I love being able to write.  I love my husband, and I love our dog Lucy.  Those three things are the center of my life and I would not trade them for all the money in the world.  Find what makes you happy and never let go of those things.  Trust me, life is supposed to be and adventure, and with each new adventure be sure to show gratitude.  If you will show gratitude the Universe will reward you with other opportunities for gratitude.  It then becomes a win, win situation, and who doesn't like to win in life?

It's up to you what happens next.  Speak words of love, light, and happiness.  If you want joy, sow seeds of joy.  If you want contentment, throw out thoughts of contentment.  You create the world around you, start accepting this universal law, and start living the way you were always intended to live.  If you want change, be that change you are looking for.  It's time to enjoy who and what you are.  If you will focus on you, if you will realize that it's all up to you, then you will be living a blessed life and others will be blessed because of you taking a stand.  Get going now and live like there is no tomorrow.