CHOICE

" I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me and the heart appoints"

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Choice is the exploration of desire and then the selection of action. In every moment, you are choosing either to align yourself with your own true path or to veer away from it. There are no neutral actions. Even the smallest gesture has a direction to it, leading you closer to your path or farther away from it, whether you realize it or not. Pure actions -- like spending time with a beloved friend -- bring you into alignment, whereas false ones -- such as spending time with someone you really don't like but to whom you feel obligated -- alienate you from your truth. Every choice carries weight.

Though used synonymously, choice and decision are not the same thing. Decisions are made in your mind, whereas choices are made in your gut. Decisions come from the rational, reasonable weighing of the circumstances; choices come from your essence and an attunement with your higher self.

Take, for example, an opera singer named Betty who needed to find a new career because her vocal cords were damaged. She came to me for consultation, unsure that she had any skills that would be useful in finding a new career. I assured Betty that she had some preferences and passions that would guide her, and asked her to tell me what it was she loved to do.

Betty thought for a while, and then acknowledged the four things she loved above all others: eating, shopping, speaking French, and dining in elegant restaurants. She practically lit up as she described her delight for each of these activities. Then Betty quickly added that she was aware that other people would not view theses interests as valuable, and that she was sure they would do her no good in finding her new career.

However, that was where Betty was mistaken. By choosing to acknowledge and honor her real interests, she was able to take real steps that enabled her to align with her truth, rather than deciding to find a "reasonable" job that might lead her away from it. BNetty chose to find a job that accommodated at least some of these interests.

Much to Betty's astonishment, she manifested a job that actually accommodated all of these seemingly disparate interests. She became a special events coordinator for a major upscale department store. Her first assignment was to entertain the executives from a couture French design company by dining with them in elegant restaurants.

Think back to an authentic choice you made at some point in your life. Perhaps it was a strong pull to visit a foreign country, or a feeling that a certain romantic relationship needed to end, or the sense that you needed to leave your corporate job and start your own business. How did it feel to act on your choices?

Remember that feeling. it is the essence of living aligned with your path.