What's your best decision ever? Was it done consciously? Or did your gut tell you how to proceed? Did you jump without thinking because somehow you just knew that it needed to be done?
We all have a decision that changed our lives. Or perhaps we look back and can clearly see where the fork was in the road, and we chose otherwise. What would have happened if we had taken the other path?
I look back on buying my first house. A small, cute bungalow with three little bedrooms. It had a school within walking distance (check, we planned to have children at some point), was walking distance to a shopping mall, and most importantly it was in the right price range.
From that purchase, the bungalow with the 1950's olive green sculptured carpet, and an abundance of big trees with lots of falling leaves, my life took a path.
I developed a friendship with a neighbour who became like a sister to me, we supported and held each other up through very difficult times. Our children had sleepovers and ran away from home to each other’s houses. We once put all four into a bathtub so that they all got the chickenpox at the same time. There was absolutely no reason to ruin our summer vacations, hers and mine that is.
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| Best Decision Ever - Made or Given? circa 1986 |
When this friend moved to the other side of the world, I had to learn to adapt. Smile when lonely and take my children to activities on my own. I missed her so much, but I learned to make new friends, try new things that she wouldn’t have chosen and generally had to discover who I was on my own.
Some decisions are made for us by a Universe who likes to see us grow. The same Universe who allowed me to buy a bungalow two doors down from her. My friend who changed me forever.
Other decisions are chosen. As a crafty kind of person, I was always working on a project and looking for a craft sale to be a part of.
I was able at that point to rent some retail space in a Crafters Marketplace. An eight-by-four foot space that allowed me to be creative. I purchased items at garage sales and gave them new life. I attended retail shows and bought at wholesale prices to accessorize my creations. I learned about shipping charges, decorating trends and met folks from all over the country. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of fun.
It was with some sadness that I developed a number of allergies that required me to give up selling baby’s breath from my garden and stripping old furniture with foul-smelling chemicals. I was faced with… what do I do next?
Those adventures seem like they were a lifetime ago. They say that everything you do has some transferable skill for the future You. You just don't see it at that time. That some decisions are made and some are given, as described by celebrities in this Success article.
Only as I sit here at some distance from those experiences I can see what they sought to teach me. The courage to try something new.
Many people around you will not get this, they will not support you in your dream because it might make them uncomfortable. They might not try it themselves so they don't want you to do it either. Sometimes, you have to leave them behind.
Keep doing, keep trying. You might choose or it might be handed to you as a scary experience. But always know it arrived at your doorstep just for you.
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