Every moment of every day, you have choices. The more you’re aware that you have choices, the more choices you become aware of. The idea that you can choose how to be is one of the strongest concepts you can take with you. 

I CHOOSE.

Personal accountability goes with that. In a recent leadership group I attended, I commented that I had only gotten four hours of sleep the night before, so I was a little tired. The leader questioned what was going on. My response, “I chose this.” 

No one made me stay up looking at one more thing on the interwebs. No one pushed me to write one more thing in my notes. No one was forcing me to stay up knowing that I’d need to be up early the next day. I chose it.

And I also chose to be happy and engaged in my meeting that next day.

I wake up (annoyingly) perky, even before coffee. It’s a thing. I greet the day with a smile and I greet the people in my day with energy. It’s a choice. I choose this.

Are there times I choose differently? Of course. Was I perky and excited after my mom passed away several years ago? Nope. And you know what? I chose to experience the loss. 

In micro-instants, we give meaning to thoughts and that meaning creates emotions. We then try to put meaning to the emotions. 

Being accountable for your emotions and what you believe about yourself and others can be a deliberate act. I say it can be because not everyone believes that they have that kind of control. 

I believe you can choose what state you’re in every moment of every day. Try this, just for fun: sit up just a little straighter right now. Take a full breath in. Look up to where the wall meets the ceiling, that corner that’s created is just high enough. Take another breath and say out loud, “I’m feeling pretty darn good.” 

Try that. 

Maybe, just maybe something shifted for you. Most people can feel it. When I talk about being deliberate, it’s about taking inventory of how you’re feeling and choosing to shift that.

We all know people who live their lives the other way. They choose to feel bad, and sadly, they don’t know they’re making that choice. The first things you’ll hear from them are about the drama they have in their lives and why they can’t do one thing or another. They choose that space and await rescue and sympathy as the reward.

Now I am not saying that those with biochemical imbalances or diagnosed clinical depression have the same choices. Certainly, there’s too much to go into on this for a short blog post, so let’s focus back on you.

Here, I’d like to offer a tip of the hat to Carol Dweck and her work on mindset. Personally, I believe everyone can shift to what she calls a “growth mindset.” And I believe that within that mindset, we can, at any moment choose our mindstate. 

What do you want to focus on in this moment, and now, and now? 

You get to choose. 

You get to choose what to focus on. 

You get to choose how you feel about that too. 

Be deliberate about your mindstate throughout the day and see where it takes you when you make a choice to feel and engage with the world differently.

This is a big one. A lot of people will fight for their limitations. Others will lean into this concept of being deliberate about their mindstate and see how agile they can be with their thinking/feeling connection throughout the day. Ultimately, you choose.

Keep making your magic.

= Wayne =  

P.S. We just had an amazing small-group mastermind in Victoria, BC. It was awesome – the next one is in October and it’s not too early to lock in your place at the table. You choose! Take a look HERE.