And...What do you really want?

I examine myself, to realize that most of the time I do what others expect me to do and not what I truly desire. Not because what I desire is inferior or conflicting, but because doing what is expected of each of us can make us feel a certain sense of comfort, perhaps even make us feel like we fit in and are not fighting against the current.

Many times I have been talking with friends who do not know what to do or feel confused about a decision or decisions they are going to make. To the uncertainty I respond by saying - "and... what do you really want?" - This simple and straightforward phrase helps these people see their situation from a different point of view. One in which it is not them confronting themselves, but one in which they can have a glimpse of why sometimes it is so difficult to choose and use that perspective to make better decisions.

As humans, we deal with more things than we can handle. Personally, things often get out of my hands, however one of my favorite phrases that I repeat daily is "life is a work in progress" and as such there will always be something we can learn, something we can do better, better decisions we can make, among many other things. This phrase in particular makes me less harsh on myself and others, as it makes me understand that we all have the gift of becoming better every day and that today's weaknesses and frailties can be tomorrow's strengths.

Making a distinction between what we really want and what we are supposed to do can make a big difference when making assessments that guide us to make better decisions. Meditating on the paths we can choose and why we choose them can, in the end, give greater meaning to what we choose.