Posted to Facebook February 8th 2021
In the book Essentialism, Greg McKeown talks about the difference
between options and choices. He says, "For too long, we have
overemphasized the external aspect of choices (our options) and
underemphasized our internal ability to choose (our actions)." (pg. 35) In LOP I
would take that another step and say that our 'internal ability to
choose' also includes how we choose to perceive, think, and feel about
anything that is going on. When we consciously choose the upward
spiral perspective we
feel our best, we have the most success, we find the perfect answers to our questions, and it's when we have any chance of uplifting others.
So, I have been doing my best to practice my choice of freedom with a question. When I encounter a condition in my day that feels like it is on the downward spiral I ask myself, "Do I need this condition to be different in order to feel good? Do I need (fill in the blank with some external condition you are wanting i.e. the kids to clean up their room; a boss to listen to my opinions; slow people to drive faster) in order to feel good?" If my answer is yes I know I am being lazy with my choices and expecting others to take care of my feelings for me. Living that way means I will always be a victim to whatever is going on around me, and that feels awful. Being a victim to the 'external aspect of choices' is a loss of freedom that I am inflicting on myself.
If my answer is no, I don't need that condition to be different in order to feel good, then I am knowing that I am the source of my own power and freedom. If my answer is no then I am understanding that I am not really looking for this condition to be different, I am looking to feel better, and I can do something about that. When I am able to find an upward spiral perspective without conditions needing to be different then I take my power back, I am better able to access the knowing of my worth, and I am trusting what is real for me -- that is Living On Purpose (LOP).
Now I know there are times when we may really be caught up in believing that something needs to be different in order to feel good, i.e. the death of a loved one, the ability to pay our bills, or feeling alone. But if Viktor Frankl (Mans Search for Meaning) was able to do it in a Nazi concentration camp, I believe I can do it too.
LOP is choosing the upward spiral because that is what sets me free.