>The other day I tweeted: Unless you are a prisoner, you are exactly where you choose to be.
A few people noticed and asked me what that means, and more importantly, ‘what are the steps people can take?” (thanks Michelle @MeditativeArts)
I started tweeting out a couple of steps and then prompted, by Michelle, I figured the reply would be much more cohesive and useful for a read if put into a blog. So here it is.
What does it mean “you are exactly where you choose to be”?
We get up, we breathe, we eat, we walk out the door (well get dressed, brush teeth, etc. preferably) and join the rest of the world on our journey through life.
For the most part, we are making a decision about every step of our journey. Take the highway or side streets? Do I buy 2L of milk? Can I run in and drop off the books before I pick up the kids? Should the report be printed or is a pdf enough for my presentation?
The barrage of questions goes on and on in our heads all day long and often, continues after we fall asleep. Do you notice the subtle questions? Like: Am I good enough for this promotion? Can I put off exercise until thursday? This outfit doesn’t fit, but does it matter, do I care? This conversation is boring, but I’ll listen, I’m being polite right? I really want to go out to that event friday night, it would make me so happy, but hmm, I don’t want to impose on my in-laws, it’s not that important…
We get stuck in patterns, in assumptions, in habits, in Streams of Living. They make our ‘life’ faster, ‘easier’. At least that’s what we tell ourselves to get through each day. Don’t we? It’s easier to keep the same recording flowing between friends or family than to ‘step’ on their toes. Who the hell do we think we are? Right? We can’t hurt others, it’s easier to hurt ourselves…
Whenever we choose to keep doing the same thing, I believe we are creating a prison wall around ourselves. Many times I’ve seen clients so walled up that it takes a long time to crack open a window in their life so they can look out.
So, can you get out of your prison?
Of course.
Are you ready? (Hint: only you know the answer to that one)
Steps on How to Get out of your personal Prison and a begin a new Stream of Living.
step 1 – Identify what’s important in your life today, this week, this month, this year. Write it down.
step 2 – Write down the action(s) needed to keep, get, or maintain the important items (people, things, events, experiences) on your list
step 3 – Examine your skills and your support systems: what can you do, what can someone else do?
step 4 – Match up your list of important items with the skills and actions
step 5 – Write down the execution (no pun intended) of these actions in order of importance (e.g. family – dinner, work – accounting, friends – movie night…)
step 6 – Decide on time required for each one, each day and mark them in your calendar or to do book
step 7 – Carry this list of important items with you for 7 days, everywhere you go
for Positive Emotion or 
for Negative emotion, beside the item that you feel connected to (on your list). Add notes if you wish (to help you remember what transpired) Sometime, even if we are involved in a new experience/event or action (that may not be on our list), it makes us feel like we are doing something on our list so you may feel a connection to something you wrote down.
step 9 – After 7 days, look at your list & evaluate. What was more positive, what was more negative?
Results
Positive marks beside your items show you are choosing to live. Keep doing more of the actions that created them. Negative marks beside your items show you are choosing a wall of prison. Change your actions: find more support networks, take a deep breath before each future action, to be able to choose differently. Repeat this simple experiment whenever you feel in you are stuck in pattern that makes you feel unhappy.
Do you like this post? Does it make sense?
Should I write more on this topic?