Freedom is but a choice away

The most mature, adult thing we can do is to remind ourselves that we have a choice.

We may not be able to control a damn thing about the results we see in this world, but if we care enough, there’s always some part of the process that’s up to us.

Bandura, a legendary psychologist and professor, uses the term self efficacy to describe this choice making experience. It’s the belief in one’s ability to influence events that effect one’s life, and control over the way these events are experienced.

In a world where some people never imagine they have the choice to do or not to do something, this theory is powerful. Because in many situations, our choices are less important than the fact that we make them. Each one builds on the next.

When we connect to more choice, we connect to more freedom, and when we connect to more freedom, we connect to greater fulfillment.

The challenge is, the powers that be try to fool us into believing we don’t have a choice. Both internally with our own egos, and externally with the world, there will always be some angry and clever voice trying to convince us that there’s nothing we can do.

And it’s simply not true. The secret is training ourselves to remove all disempowering language from our inner dialogue. To speak in ways that remind us we are victims of our own actions, and not some cosmic force we can’t perceive.

Step one is abstinence from reactive words like should, ought to, obliged to, have to, forced to, overwhelmed, don’t want to think about it.

Step two is replacing them with ownership language like want to, choose to, intend to, commit to, prepared to and I trust myself to.

And if that sounds too intimidating, start by simply noticing anytime you use those words. Attention changes intention.

Even if the world tries to fool you into believing you have no power, there’s always the prospect of self efficacy at your fingertips.

Freedom is but a choice away. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What if our anxiety was the result of poor volition and not poor circumstances?