It’s Up to You

Consider all the things that are up to you:

• Your mood when you wake up.  Waking up on the wrong side of the bed is your choice.  You alone decide how you’ll approach each new day.

• Your morning routine.  What’s included or excluded?  How much time are you providing for yourself in the morning?  Are you rushing, or welcoming the day at the pace of your choosing?    

• The tone of interactions you have with others.  Are you smiling when you’re talking (whether in person or by phone)?  Are you looking for faults in others, or the good in others?  The energy you bring is your choice.

• Your career choice.  Unhappy at work?  What are you doing to change it?  Are you changing your situation, or just complaining.  Not sure if you should work in your chosen profession?  What are you doing to figure it out?  If this profession isn’t for you, what concrete steps are you taking to prepare to work in another profession?  You decide all of it.

• Whether you choose to manage your day, or let it manage you.

• The places you visit and frequent.

• Your hobbies.  Do you even have a hobby, or are you too “busy” for anything that brings you joy or peace outside of work? 

• Your friends.  Are they lifting you up or bringing you down?  Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  Choose wisely.

• The organizations you choose to join or support.

This list only scratches the surface. 

It’s easiest to let someone, or something, else make the decisions for you.  But remember—choosing not to decide is a decision, and you own it.    

So, what kind of day will you have?  What kind of life will you live? 

It’s up to you.   

Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash