A while back I asked people for quotes that resonated with them since many of my newsletters have been inspired by quotes and sayings. Today’s inspiration comes from Barb Keefe. Thanks Barb, this one really made me think.
“You’re responsible for the choices you make.”
She then added, “or in my mother’s words, it’s nobody’s fault, but your own.” I could truly hear my own mother using that line!
I kept playing with this one on my morning walks, the word choice. I have a sign in my son’s bedroom that reads, ‘Make up your mind to be happy.’
I believe how we interpret something is a choice. The energy we bring to a situation is a choice. And of course, all those decisions we make about our life and our goals are a choice.
The catch is, when those choices do not go the way we want, we tend to beat ourselves up. We blame ourselves, pile on the negative self-talk, and spiral downward. As a result, we are then hesitant or even afraid of making future choices.
I get it. Bad choices happen to all of us. For me, I chose to major in accounting. By my first semester sophomore year, I knew it wasn’t for me. Yet, I felt like it was too late. (I know, stop laughing at me and rolling your eyes.)
I truly did feel like I had invested so much time and I didn’t want to start over. So, I completed my accounting degree and went into accounting. Then I spent the next ten years trying to find meaning and purpose in my work.
I can look at that choice as a waste of time and be upset with myself for not making a better decision. Instead, I look back and ask myself, “What did I learn from it? What was great about that choice? What did I get out of that decision?”
The truth is, I am far more credible as a coach and as somebody who teaches leadership, due to leading others at the age of twenty-two. Because I spent 10 years in finance in a corporate environment, in management, and in leadership positions, I have lots of stories and experiences to share.
I always say I help people avoid all the mistakes that I made. And I made plenty! Without that choice, I wouldn’t have those experiences to benefit those I now serve.
This saying really lands with me because there is such a power in the word choice. It’s not just in the decisions that we make, but how we interpret and think about the outcome of those decisions and how we frame them.
What is one thing that you want to reframe from the choices you’ve made?