You can choose how to live your life

“I have to do this”, “I don't have time”, “I have to go there.” Do these sentences sound familiar? How often do we use phrases like these? As a society, we continue this habit by saying the sentences we have been accustomed to hearing since our childhood. And most of the time we are not even aware of it.

Well, if I tell you, these are your choices. I know, the first thing that comes to mind is “Is it okay, why should I choose these? You don't know what I've been through!" Yes, I don't know and I'm sure some of them are quite challenging for you. But knowing this, I invite you to a different field: As you practice changing your point of view and your discourse on what you are going through, you can take control of your life.

We put ourselves in the role of victim when we always see others as the reason for performing or not performing an action. Because our hands are tied there and whatever commands come from outside, we are in the position of executors without question. However, this is our life and we have the right and power to choose how we live our lives! Maybe we forgot this for years and it was made us forget. But we can remember again…

Reminding yourself that you have this power is easier than you think. All you have to do is replace the predicate of the sentence with "I choose" when you are going to construct the sentences above and similar!

Let's try it together: “I choose to do it this way”, “I choose to spend my time on something else instead”, “I choose to go there.” When we change the predicate to choose, we remind our minds over and over that this choice actually belongs to us. But when we remember this, the fact that we may have other options may surface.

When you are asked to do something you don't want in your work or social life, when you say "you have to", this action brings unhappiness and stress. But maybe you do it even if you complain about the habits of years, maybe because of the culture you live in. At the end of the day, you choose to do it. When you are aware of your choice, you can take responsibility for it by starting to search for ways to say no, to establish a healthy communication about why you should not do it.

If you are eager to walk regularly for your health, but you say "I can't because I don't have time", this choice is yours. By making a list of the things that take your time during the day, you can take responsibility for this by noticing the activities that maybe don't contribute to you, maybe you spend more time than necessary, and by setting a small time for walking.

If you don't want to go but go on a date just to avoid shame, then this choice is yours. You can choose to force yourself to go when you are sick, stop seeing people you don't want with a healthy communication, and you can prioritize yourself.

In a nutshell, you can choose how to live your life!

Although it may sound simple, I am aware that implementation is not always this easy. This is a habit of life, and as with any habit, gaining the habit of choosing takes practice. But isn't it worth choosing to practice choosing to live a happier life?