Life is About Choice—Your Choice 

By Marilyn L Redmond, BA, ABH. IBRT

It may seem like the roof is caving in, all of life is fanatical, with taxes and wars never ending. Have you noticed that when life has smoothed out then another issue arises? The vicissitudes of life are there for a reason. Ultimately, they bring balance. Our lives have a purpose and each event, good or bad, have meaning for us to examine. The ones we call bad are there to teach us a lesson. What did the situation emotionally trigger in you? Did you get angry, get revenge, or get sullen. Is that how you dealt with this kind of situation growing up or early in your life? Do you continue to react in this kind of life situation and things seem to never change?

When I was older, I learned that I had to change with a new response instead of acting from my old ways. I did not have to stay in my immature childish ways of acting. I had been reacting from some kind of fear. In my early growing up, my parents did the best that they could, but as a child, I did not see it that way, In my feeling insecure, feeling a lack of, feeling lonely, or rejected. I wanted love, caring, and hugs saying I love you.   

Being naïve, I married and recreated the family in which I grew up. The roof was still caving in after a few years. I was not taught about how life worked or how to have trust, communications, or feelings. I was stuck at a young age, emotionally. I remember at the age of five telling myself, "If being an adult is about fighting every night, then I do not want to grow up." 

I continued my immaturity into my fifties, married as a teacher, mother, and working in the family business. I was never given a choice. I was a great "doer". Through circumstances, I found a spiritual program that had information very new to me. My first insight was that I had been living in fear. In addition, my new information had answers different from the religion in which I was raised.

I found new answers to be helpful in all parts of my life. I could respond to life situations in loving resolutions, instead of my old ways. I learned that I was like a magnet in the fear and the fearful situations kept coming to me. Making a list of the fears and reframing them into positive thoughts was bringing better results.  When I saw that this was improving my life, I continued to find my guilt, shame, jealousy, and other negative thinking to restate them into positive perceptions called affirmations.

I could claim the truth about myself. I was not unworthy, without value, or used merchandize. I could substitute the positive for the negative. This brought truth into my life. Continuing through many years of self-searching, prayer, and meditation to replace the misinformation, lies, and false beliefs was my inner work. Each time brought more peace and grace into my life. I felt a relief as my awareness moved into a higher consciousness of a beneficent universe that created it all. I began to see that the fear had blocked my vision of truth, where all is good. The fear was an illusion and blocked the truth that love is reality.

Making this change takes faith and trust in a higher power. I saw myself walk into the hands of a loving Creator leaving the past behind. I chose to have a life seeing the positive in all things. With my new choices over time, I moved more into a higher realization. Life was becoming better, I felt better, and I could see that life is good. I was going through a transition into new understandings about life. Ultimately, I gave up beliefs and now come from my heart instead of my head.

I could give up the judgment I learned so well from my mother. This allows me to be in a non-judgmental awareness about life and people. In changing myself, I became a new person as if I had a new pair of glasses. I finally realized they were my teachers to teach me to turn to "The Father of Light" in all things. Love and light are the same energy.  

The past anguish brought me to turn to a loving universe for help and support. If I stayed in my pain and anger, I could not have grown into my new world of seeing life and those challenges as opportunities to grow and mature. I would have remained immature and childish. I found forgiveness and compassion for those in my past that brought on difficult situations. Gradually, I was able to thank them in prayer, as they had past.

I have grown up and am grateful for all the good things I did not glimpse before. Learning to "let go and let God", I no longer needed to run from life. I could accept life on life's terms, even if I was not thrilled about it. I do not resist, but accept it learning the lesson to move beyond my old thoughts, words, or actions. I can choose to have love be my guide and foundation in life's experiences. Those experiences become wisdom. This brings joy and fills me with the love I always wanted and was only hidden. . Love never fails.