Free Will: The Ace Up Your Sleeve

     A close friend of mine recently confided in me that she recently had an epiphany. Her epiphany was that she was getting older, because it was her birthday, but she wasn't happy. Everything was not fine with her life. “Today is the day that all my happiness fades” was what was spoken. No details were given as to what the actual problem was.

     I got to thinking about this. Is there no way that one can prevent fading happiness? Whether it be feeling like you are living day to day just going through the motions and routines only to end up where you started when you wake, or finding joy in nothing you do, there will always be an ace up your sleeve whether you know it or not. “The journey of 1000 miles starts with one step” is an old Chinese proverb that has been adapted to fit whatever culture or scenario that may be applicable, but holds true in every situation.

     When life has become nothing more than a stagnant puddle of routine all that needs to happen is change. Free will is the ace up your sleeve that most people take for granted. The fact that you are free to do as you like (within limits of course) and change everything. You can choose to change your outlook, routine, or mindset. There is nothing that is beyond your imagination. Once you get the ball rolling all you have to do is keep the momentum until you reach your destination.

     For example, a person who is overweight will never change unless they change their routine of fast food and keeping the couch from floating off. They've got to change what they eat, how much they eat, and instead of holding the couch down, trying beating the pavement into the soil, or making sure your bicycle is getting its exercise. Once the ball is rolling and that spare tire is shrinking, that becomes your new routine because there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is a beacon of determination.

     The first thing is you've got to figure out why you aren't happy. Whether its weight issues, family issues, work issues, social issues (or a lack of), or financial issues, the problem needs to be pinpointed. Once it is narrowed down you need to figure out the origin of the problem and how it progressed. If you figure out how it started you can do two things, prevent it from happening again and it may give a clue on how to undo it. After that all that is left is figuring out a feasible solution and implementing it. It is very simple, if there is more than one issue work on them one at a time starting with the biggest.