It’s Your Life. You Decide!

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
– Marilyn Monroe

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together… I love that so much! And I not only choose to believe it’s true (because everything is a choice), I also know, with absolute certainty, that it is true.

And I also choose to believe that everything — good and bad — happens for a reason! Even if the reason isn’t revealed to us when we’d like it to be.

“The moment you accept total responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life is the day you claim the power to change ANYTHING in your life.”
– Hal Elrod

That’s the true concept of radical accountability, to me. Taking total responsibility for everything in your life — including what you choose to believe, and how you choose to see the world, yourself, and others — all the good and all the bad, equally.

And when you choose to take that radical accountability, that’s actually how you can begin to change anything and everything in your life!!!

You can choose to believe that life happens to you. Or, you can choose to believe that everything in life happens for you. You decide!

That’s also what it means to create value and meaning out of everything. But here’s the thing, you must create it! And, you must create it!

“You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.”
– Mae Jemison

And that’s what it means to authentically and unapologetically live your truth! It’s your truth, no one else’s. It’s your choices, no one else’s. It’s your life, no one else’s.

It’s not about ignoring or not caring about other people’s opinions, advice, help, or support. Because we all need that and we can all learn from that. But, it is about understanding that in the end, it’s up to you. You decide. You choose. You create. You make your life.

I used to believe that everything matters! Then I learned that choosing to believe that and approaching life with that perspective didn’t serve me. It didn’t empower me, it beat me down ultimately.

Because when everything matters, everything is high stakes, everything becomes exclusively about the outcomes, about winning or losing, succeeding or failing, and that’s a whole lot of pressure to put on yourself. Enough of that kind of pressure will crack you.

There were also times when I entertained the idea that maybe nothing matters. Times when no matter how much I tried or how hard I pushed, it didn’t seem to make any difference at all and no matter what I did or how I did it, the game was always rigged against me.

But, that nihilistic perspective is extremely depressing and discouraging. That definitely didn’t serve me. Not to mention that it went against every grain of what I know, deep down, to be true.

Today, I know that the answer is — it’s both! (The answer is always — it’s both!!! No matter what the question).

It’s not that everything matters, and it’s also not that nothing matters. Some things matter, and some things don’t. The real point is — you decide what matters, and you decide what doesn’t! To you, and for you!

You live your life, you become your best self, you realize your dreams, you create your value and meaning, you choose to believe your beliefs, and you decide what matters or doesn’t in your life. YOU DECIDE!

And, when you’re making those decisions, I believe that everything counts! Your actions — big and small, your reactions — big and small, your habits and behaviors — big and small, your mistakes — big and small, your heartbreaks — big and small, your disappointments — big and small, your betrayals — big and small, your failures — big and small, and your successes — big and small; they all count!!!!

So today, while I believe that not everything matters, I do believe that everything counts!

Every choice has a consequence. Every action has an outcome. Every experience has value and meaning — if you choose and decide to see it, create it, and extrapolate from it! And after that, you decide what matters and what doesn’t.

You decide. You choose. You create. You make your life!

For more on Creating Value and Meaning out of Everything, check this out.

For more on whether to believe that Everything Happens for a Reason, check this out.

For more on wearing your choice to Live Your Truth, check this out.

As always, thanks for reading this :-). Feel free to leave a comment below.

Do more of what you love.
Be more of who you love.
Seize Your Passion!