I have a week off this week for spring break. I haven’t had one of these in a long time. I have plans. I want to straighten up my house, my car and relax. I have plans to go to Oklahoma next weekend to visit a friend. I haven’t driven to Oklahoma before, but I have a route and I am super excited to go visit. I was pretty productive yesterday. I hung out with my sister while they got ready to move . But I also watched 60 days in on Hulu from 10pm to about 6am this morning. I meant to go to sleep, but that show is equal parts super interesting and depressing . It was like a good book, I didn’t want to put it down. So I slept from about 6 to 10 this morning,and then slept again from 1- 4.
Why in the world am I giving you a breakdown of my day today?
Because here’s the deal: we can set plans to get things done, be productive and use our time wisely,
Judging ourselves for the un helpful choices we make does not change the fact that we made the choice to watch tv until 6 in the morning. But We can make a different choice at anytime. It is simply up to us.
I had a sense that I wasted my day today, but I set an intention to spend the rest of my time today getting a head start on some cleaning. I could have stayed in a funk. I could have slept the rest of the day away, or I could stop, become aware and make a productive choice.
In both scenarios, the only thing that was different is how I felt. If I would have continued to binge watch Hulu. I would have felt drained, depressed and just tired. If I got up and cleaned , took care of some things around my house, I would feel productive, and like I was taking care of what I have been given.
In both scenarios, my circumstances have not changed. I am still living with a roof over my head. I still have food to eat . I still have the luxury of watching television and using it as a source of relaxing. Life is still moving forward. Noting is wrong. It simply is what I choose to do with the time I am given.
Do I still need to do some work on my house? yes. Is it bad that I didn’t sleep? NO, I just dealt with the consequences and made helpful choices to enjoy the day I did have.
The belief that we do not have a choice in how we experience the world around us is one that will keep us trapped as long as we allow it to.
But sometimes, realizing we do have a choice, is intimidating because we then have to take responsibility for those choices. But the cool thing is, as soon as we do, the burden is lifted. Its pretty cool if you think about it.
Do you need to make different choices ?
What is stopping you?
You’ll find you’re doing well if you take time to investigate things.
Be encouraged,
Rachael
