standing in outer space looking at the Earth
Image by Stefan Keller 


Narrated by Marie T. Russell

Watch video version here.

While nothing in the world really belongs to us, our lives are one thing that do belong to us. We are in charge of them completely. We get to make choices, set goals, and choose the direction in which we desire our lives to progress.

Complexity

As we all know, life isn't simple. It's not just a question of setting a goal and then knowing that we will reach it, no matter what. There are so many variables... not only what we do, but what others do as well.

Even our physical body, though it is also unquestionably ours, is complex and influenced by many external, as well as internal, factors. Our body is ours, but it also has its own mode of operation.

Yet, even with all the complexity of life, there is always a simple thread underlying it all. We get to choose our attitude. No one can impose an attitude on us. And our attitude sets the tone for our life. So which attitudes are you choosing?

Honor Your Feelings

Whenever we feel out of sync with our life, we can find the clue to the reason why by accessing our feelings. Any disharmony within your being will be expressed through your feelings.

When we don't pay attention to our feelings, the energy blockage remains and builds, and can erupt in harmful ways. It is best to learn to tune in to our feelings rather than ignore and repress them. They are there for a reason. They have a message to share.

What are you feeling right now? Are you happy? Sad? Angry? Depressed? Joyful? Confused? What are your feelings telling your about what is going on, or not going on, in your life. Honor yourself by honoring your feelings and listening to the messages and insights they are leading you to.

Manage Your Pain

Pain is a feeling that is very personal. When asked by a doctor to give a number for my pain, from 1 to 10, I'm at a loss. How do you rate your pain? Unless of course it is excruciating, then you want to pick a number that is higher than 10. But otherwise... is it a 3, a 5, a 7? It's such a personal experience that it seems hard to catalog it on a 1 to 10 scale.

But what about pain that isn't physical... like a broken heart, or the pain you feel from the betrayal of a friend, or anger directed your way. How can you categorize that kind of pain by assigning it a number? All we know is that we are in pain, and that some days it hurts more than others. 

Pain, like feelings, needs to be acknowledged and honored. Yes, honored! Pain comes with its own message and life lesson. The quicker we can get in touch with what we need to learn from it, the quicker we will be able to move on and be freed of its greedy tentacles. Pain will feed on our energy until we understand its gift and transform it into a blessing, rather than a curse.


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Life is Never Static

Our life is never static. It is ongoing and evolving continually. And as we progress along our path of life, we can also be evolving by choosing to heal from past events and traumas.

When we remain fixed in grudges and resentments, we do not evolve... we do not heal. Life will try to help us reach a state of harmony by sending messages, challenges, and tasks to further us along on the path of growth and healing.

And, of course, we always have the choice to evolve along with life, or remain stuck in our old patterns and attitudes. But, choosing to grow is the natural path of life and the easiest. Going against the current of life is a struggle. Letting go of the energetic burdens of the past, even if the past was just 10 minutes ago, creates a smoother life journey with better results, physically and mentally.

What Are You Longing For?

We all long for something at various times in our life. When we are sick, we long for health. When we feel tired, we desire more energy. If we are broke, we want more money. When we are sad, we look forward to feeling better. 

We long for the opposite of what we're experiencing, or at least for an improvement to it. We long for and seek the solution to our problems. But longing and seeking do not make anything happen on their own.

Yes, we need to have faith in the future, but we also need to take action. Both of these will help fulfill what we are longing for. We must have faith that we will reach the other side of our situation. And, we need to take all the actions that we need to take, to make these things happen. 

Everything I Give Life To, Lives

Our life is what we make of it. Whatever we give energy to, is what will live in us and come from us.

If we give life to fear, anger, resentment, envy... that is what will live within us and come from us. If instead we give life to love, generosity, authenticity, joy, exuberance, that is what will live within us and come from us. 

The choice, as always, is ours. What kind of life do we desire? A loving one? joyful? fulfilled? Then, as so we desire, so must we be. If we want love in our life, we must be loving. If we want joy, we must exude joy. If we want peace and vitality, that is what we must nurture within our heart and our being so it can be expressed externally. Our life is what we make of it. 

Living Deliberately

Here is a wonderful affirmation that can help set the tone and focus for our life, each and every day. It is reprinted from the book This Life is Yours:

Affirmation for Today

This day is for me. The hours I will live through today
     are for me.

The day is laid out ahead of me, a wild landscape,
     a blank canvas.

The me that is more than me, the me that is pure spirit
     imbued with all wisdom and love, sets the scene
     and takes the stage today.

May every decision I will make today
     nurture well-being.

Grateful that I can choose my outlook and attitude,
     I tame the wild and calm the storms.

I walk in wholeness and paint a portrait of
     my true identity.

Today I will attend to the needs of my body
     with particular care.

I will lovingly support myself
     with healthful choices.

I will choose inspiration as my guide 
     for anything I choose to do today.

I know that whatever I let in -- by viewing it, reading it,
     hearing it, or participating in it -- affects me.

I want my mind and heart engaged in
     life-enhancing, meaning-making moments.

I choose to live deliberately today. 

Article inspired from:

This Life Is Yours

This Life Is Yours: Discover Your Power, Claim Your Wholeness, and Heal Your Life
by Linda Martella-Whitsett and Alicia Whitsett

book cover of This Life Is Yours: Discover Your Power, Claim Your Wholeness, and Heal Your Life by Linda Martella-Whitsett and Alicia WhitsettHeal your life and discover how everything can be right even when circumstances are all wrong. This is a book about healing your whole self; a book about becoming conscious and discovering the eternal and unbreakable you. The authors take readers on a journey of discovery; a journey in which each reader will discover tools for their wholeness and personal power. 

Filled with anecdotes and offering practical exercises, the authors show the ways in which we can heal and grow. It is a book that shows readers, regardless of circumstances, how to live light-filled, powerful, and joyous lives.

Info/Order this book.  Also available as a Kindle edition, Audio CD, and an Audiobook. 


About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com