My Choice
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” —William Faulkner.
I am not a good swimmer, let me just put that out there. I grew up beside a river and I had brothers who would always threaten to throw me in the river – you know, kids will be kids. I developed a fear of what might happen if they truly did follow through with their threats. My fear and panic just fed their bullying and it became a weekly event as we walked toward the big church which was my safety net once I reached it. It wasn’t the only way they taunted me. Walking home with them from school was a real challenge as well. We had to cross over a railroad track to get to our street. Many times there would be a train just sitting on the track. If you’ve ever been close to a stopped train, you will understand that they are huge (especially relative to my small size as a child), they are cold and ominous looking and you can just feel the power of them when the engine starts up. We had choices – wait for the train to move or climb underneath and make our way home. That was it. There was no other way around it. My brothers chose to go through while I stayed on the other side petrified that if I crawled underneath I would surely be cut into pieces by the 1000-pound train wheel. My mind always cried out “danger danger” when something was not a good idea. They called me a wimp and made fun of me for my inability to take chances. I’m sure they got into trouble when they arrived at home without me and I can just imagine the explaining they had to do to mom. Not to mention, the punishment that was doled out. I became aware of this pattern in my life. My older brothers were supposed to look out for me and take care of me. Later on, I always became aware that those I thought were going to have my back really didn’t. I developed an attitude of “if it’s to be, it’s up to me.” It made me more independent. While I still would not choose to crawl underneath the train or willingly go near the riverbank, I knew that if it came down to it I probably could. I relay these stories because all of our past experiences go into our makeup of who we are in the now moment. My sister used to have a saying that drove me crazy – “but did you die?” and I would get so mad at her. I didn’t feel heard with that comment. Now, I’m okay with it because, no I didn’t die. Instead, I was transformed. That’s the power of knowing what we came through, of what we overcame in life to get where we are now. Whether it is a train, a river, an abusive partner, an illness doesn’t not matter. They are all teachers. Each experience brings us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. I can only take the journey I am on because I know I am strong and I have no fear of what if. Where it used to be what if I was thrown in the river and drowned, now it is what if I could swim and make it to the shore? It is all perspective. Later in my teen years, I experienced the reality of my worst nightmare coming true. I was thrown into the ocean because there was a belief that I could swim and after going under three times, I was rescued and did not actually drown. It was the perfect example, however, of what we focus on we call to us.
Dear Angels, I believe we always have choices in life. If we believe there is only one way out of a situation, then we are boxing ourselves in and not allowing the knowingness of just how powerful we are. I became brave because I chose to not be a victim. I didn’t like the victim me. I like the brave me a whole lot better.
Dear Ones, you will always have a choice, no matter what the circumstance. There are those among you who choose to “check out” of your human experience because you are looking at the ‘what if’ in a way that seems only to end in the worst possible scenario or you see no end to the pain you are feeling, whether physical, mental or emotional. We say to you that if you were to step back and become the observer for just a moment you would see things with much more clarity. That feeling of helplessness is there because you have not explored all possibilities. You only looked at your situation with eyes of fear. Just as Teri became fearful of the body of water, knowing in her mind that if she were to find herself being thrown it, it would not end well, she brought that actuality to her later in life which just reinforced her belief. Dear Ones, you create your reality whether it is with a desired outcome or one that is your worst nightmare. Which do you choose? Where do you want your experiences to take you? You can create a life full of amazing experiences or you can choose for it to not end well. It truly is your choice.
Dear Angels, thank you. I love you. Namaste y’all.
Today, I promise to stay focused on what I do want instead of what I do not want in my life.
Teri Angel is a Happiness Coach, energy healer, best-selling author, spiritual teacher and mentor, and a motivational speaker. Teri is the Peace Campaign Coordinator for We, The World and the founder of a nonprofit organization, Angelspeakers Inc., which offers educational workshops and events centered around environmental awareness to include animals and nature, peace advocacy opportunities and ancient wisdom teachings. Teri’s movement “Peas For Peace” involves strengthening our awareness of the oneness of all, unifying mankind through compassion, peace, love and joy. She was named "She Who Blesses the Sacred Land" during the Peace On Earth Tour and embraces that title with loving grace. www.angelspeakers.com
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