The Importance of Moments

Let’s say you found the perfect lover, so you cheat.  You find a partner who listens, so you scream.  Or you’ve just received a promotion at work, so you “celebrate” for a week and go into work hung over and/or late for the next week. 

It doesn’t have to be as grandiose as ruining your life, it could be something relatively minor.  You’re supposed to study for your mid-terms but you have an unexpected urge to talk to your estranged friend or clean up your suddenly dirty house.  Despite your best intentions it seems like something always goes wrong. 

We don’t consciously sabotage ourselves, at least, we don’t think we do.  But if we are honest with ourselves we know there was a moment when it could have gone a different way.  When you think back to those moments, prior to engaging in some destructive behaviour, just before the action there was a moment, seemingly frozen, when you could make an alternative choice.  That moment is the universe giving you an opportunity to do the right thing. 

It might look the same but it isn't

After doing something the same way so many times it becomes second nature.  Like moving your head or standing up, it just happens.  Someone says, “Hey want to go to the casino?” and without even thinking about it off you go. 

Only you have the power to change the way things go for you.  It’s easy to blame someone else, but ultimately the only person who has control over you, is you.  The next time you are about to embark on an adventure that leads you astray just stop everything you’re doing and think about it.  Think about the consequences, think about what matters to you. 

When you take those moments, you give yourself an opportunity to see you have a choice.  The more times you do it, the longer those moments become.  Those are your moments and no one can take them from you, and by taking those moments you begin to take control of your life.