Be true to yourself. Everyone says it, but what does it actually mean? I believe that it could mean different things to different people in different situations. For instance, your scenario may involve being faced with a tough decision which could potentially change your future or even your entire life as you know it. And it could be a good thing, but would you be willing to…throw a co-worker under the bus to move up the corporate ladder; or lie about a current relationship in order to start a new one that may involve a better financial situation; or hide something from your family for fear of ridicule even though you believe the benefits outweigh the pitfalls?
The situations and scenarios are endless, and the decision making process can be grueling. But if you are quick to make a decision on a life altering event, does it make you too care free, or does it mean your decision making qualities are lacking, or do you simply believe in something so whole heartedly that you are willing to take the risk? Why is this thought process even in my brain at the moment, you ask? I honestly do not know, I don’t have any major decisions to make currently. But, I look back and realize just how many of these life altering events there have been along my journey, and I have a habit of wondering What If? It is mind boggling to think of how different your entire universe would be if you had simply made ONE different decision. ONE. Think about that for a moment. ONE singular decision alters your ENTIRE future. It’s scary to hypothesize the complete difference your decision could have made.
What If is a road not often traveled, but a rabbit hole of potential regret. Although, What If could also help you gain perspective on realizing that this exact moment in time IS exactly where you are supposed to be. I understand that I am taking a very negative approach to this thought process, so I figure a bit of positivity would be good. You may have spent your entire life making all the right decisions and doing all of the right things and you may be happy with where you are in time. And in this moment you have no need to wonder What If. But, I do not believe this is the bulk of the population. How could a life be lived with NO regret? How could a life be lived never thinking What If I did this differently? These ideas keep people up at night. And why does my keyboard keep sticking on the SHIFT button?!
If you made ONE decision that was not following your personal rules or strange beliefs, but your world was made better by it, does that make you a bad person? If you continually stick to your guns and make decisions based on what you’ve believed in your whole life, but you are extremely unhappy with where you are, does that make you a bad decision maker? How is all of this determined? Is it strictly based on happiness? Can you make sacrifices that constantly help others even though they ruin you? Could that bring you happiness? Can you hold onto hope that the universe will eventually realize all the good you’ve done by doing the right things and being true to yourself, and eventually reward you? Would the reward be fulfilling? Would you eventually be satisfied? Or was it never worth it?
Happiness, I believe, is the ultimate goal in life. What other reason do we have for being on this Earth, in this Universe? But how do we quantify happiness? Is it a good job and a nice house and a loving family? Is it doing good things for the environment? Is it helping others? How do we know if we are truly happy? Let’s face it, happiness—and every other emotion, for that matter—is simply electrical signals being sent from your brain. And everyone’s brain and thought processes are different—no two people could be wired alike. So, what makes one person happy, does not necessarily make the next person happy. In turn, not everyone would make the same decision when faced with it. (I’ve also realized I miss the SPACEBAR…a lot). Does that mean that one person would be happier than another? Again, it’s all in how you quantify it.
Being true to yourself could mean that you are destined to live a life of misery. Or it could lead you to exactly what you have always wanted and dreamed of. But, along the way, did you have any tough decisions to make? What If you had simply made ONE different decision? Send your brain down that rabbit hole for a few hours!