When I think of myself, as a whole. I can think of my face, my body, my friends, my family, and last of all my choices. The decisions I make, make me who I am. So when asked if I were a different person or a different version of myself. It got me thinking.
Would a different version of myself be living a better life? How different would she really be?
If she had made different choices in life, where would she be? Would she be happier?
A different me would be living in a fancy house, living a lavish life, and sipping champagne. Another version of me sitting all alone and absolutely clueless about what to do with my life. A version of me living life a day at a time, exploring and roaming places. Another version of me may have been in a different career working a 9-5. There may be a version of me who chose to become a dancer, has three cats, and likes being alone.
What makes it different is the choices I make in life. Each choice of mine shapes me to be who I am and who I can be. This choice shapes my destiny. As I write this I make a choice of doing something out of my comfort zone. You, a reader, make a choice to take some time out of your day and read this.
Choices are made every day. What to eat, what to drink, what to wear, whether to go to work or not. Most of these choices seem to not have any relevant influence on our life. But what about the choice of moving countries, of dating someone new, of letting go of someone, of taking a step in a different direction? These choices have an impact on us and our emotions. Especially when we know the change these choices can bring.
I can spend a lot of time wondering if the choice I made is correct or not. Every choice made has consequences. We decide whether the choice we made is appropriate based on the consequences we experience. And when these consequences are not in our favor we sometimes end up cursing ourselves or others for the choices.
It is the easiest thing in the world to regret, to miss out on the chances we could have taken, risks we could have taken, and journeys we could have embarked on. What is not easy is to accept it as it is. To agree that some choices we make will not lead us to where we want them to. That it will be scary making these choices but we won’t know unless we try. Right?
What you and I can do as I quote one of my favorite lines of Midnight Library a read recently is “The only way to learn is to live” Instead of me spending time wondering what could have been, what I can do is “BE”. I can be where I am, enjoy what I have and live the ‘right now’.
What I ask myself and you my dear reader to do is not simple, nor is it done in a day. But we all need to start somewhere. And this somewhere can be today.