I’ve been in a thoughtful, reflective mood today, after spending time in conversations with others about how our choices impact who we are. So I was not surprised when into my awareness the perfect words appeared, to build upon the thoughts I was entertaining.
Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning, writes,
“Where you are is a result of who you were. But where you go depends entirely on who you choose to be, from this moment forward.”
Where You Are
The first sentence in that quote makes perfect sense. When we go for a walk, and pause to rest, we know that we got where we are, in that very moment, because of the choices we made as we walked. And our choices are influenced by who we are. Simple, right?
In every city that I visit in Europe, I walk. My companions and I get to know the sprawling city or the tiny village by exploring along the twisting, winding roads. In my opinion, it’s how you get to know the town and the people and culture.
At every intersection, through every plaza or courtyard, we make a decision. Go left? Right? Straight ahead? We often get lost. But that’s part of the journey. Wandering we discover beautiful churches or fun pubs or green parks or hauntingly beautiful statues and sculptures.
Standing and looking around, we try to recall how we arrived at our destination. It’s always because of the choices we make as we walk.
Life’s journey works the same way, doesn’t it? We make this choice. Choose this path. Decide to go this way. Every decision we make determines where we ultimately end up….lost….or enjoying the view….or arriving at the place we envisioned.
The wonderful news here is, it is the person we were when we set off on the journey, who determined where we ended up. The future path? It’s wide open and full of fresh opportunities and promises.
Where You Go
But where you go depends entirely on who you choose to be, from this moment on.
THAT sentence brings with it such freedom and such immense hope. No matter where I’ve been, and who I was, I get to decide who I am and where I am going, from this moment forward…this moment right now.
I’ve had pangs of regret, when I wished I had done something differently in my life. One crazy example? If only my teenage self had invested babysitting money in Wal-Mart stock.
I can’t go back and change any of my earlier decisions in life. There is no way to go back and turn right….when I turned left. However, with the awareness I have informing the decisions I now make, I can go in any direction I choose.
Who I am right now determines where I go. That sounds so easy. So why do I let any of my past decisions, mistakes or triumphs, affect my present choices? My future is not created from my past. I can start fresh, every single day if I choose to.
It is all about choice. And being aware that our choices impact where we end up. Because of that truth, we can stop at any time on our journeys and say,
“I am not who I once was. Where I am going is different from where I came from. From this moment, from this point, my life goes in this new direction.”
And then we do it, because we choose to. And not choosing to…well that’s a choice too.
The outer journey truly is a reflection of the inner one. Who do you choose to be, right now? And dear heart, where are you going?
