A simple tip for stress reduction

Many of us feel stress and are looking for stress reduction techniques. One of the most effective is the least expected. One of the most effective ways to manage stress is make your journey your own. That’s what this week’s affirmation is all about.

When you make the decisions for your own life you begin to step into your personal power. As you do, the stress you might feel as others may try to make decisions for you begins to fade away. There is less mental chatter for you to manage because when you make your own decisions. The need for decision-by-committee diminishes. It might be uncomfortable at first, but you will come to love it. How do I know? Well, let’s compare making decisions in our lives to driving a car.

Why driving a car is a lot like life

When we drive, and we are in the driver seat, we expect to be the one who chooses where the car goes and to choose what speed we travel (within legal limits). When we have someone who is being a “backseat driver” and telling us how to drive, we often get irritated with that person and tell them to stop. Most of the time you probably continue to drive your own path that you think is right.

That’s because you know that has the driver of the car, it is your right to determine where you go. Of course, you  want everyone in the car with you to feel safe. But once you have met the requirement for safety, as drivers in our own cars, you have some choices you get to make. It’s a perk of being the driver, right!?

You are in the driver’s seat of your life

Your life is the same way! Whether you believe it or not, you are in the driver’s seat of your life. As long as your life isn’t compromising the safety of your passengers (those along the ride of life with you) you get to call the shots about where your life is going. After all, you are the driver, right?!? 

Why is it that we are able to articulately protect our right to make our own decisions in the car but we think we don’t have that right to protect our decisions in our own lives? The reasons why are as varied as each of us. Let’s talk about the reasons why we DO have the right to protect our right to make decisions in our own lives. 

It is YOUR life. You are the only one who had to look you in the mirror. You are the one who has to live with your decisions. Sure, your decides affect people around you. If the right people are around you, they will want you to be happy.  Again, as long as you are being safe.

How trusting yourself reduces stress

Once you begin to trust yourself, your trust for your own sense of inner knowing begins to grow. The more you trust your inner knowing, the more it grows.  The more your inner knowing grows, the more you trust it. It’s a beautiful process! As you begin to trust yourself and really act upon what YOU know is right, you’ll find your stress begins to dissipate. You reduce the mental ping pong you play when all of your decisions are made by committee.

For the record, I’m not suggesting you cut intimate partners out of the decision-making process in your life. I am suggesting that spend time thinking about what it is that *you* want to do *before* talking with others.

That’s why this week’s affirmation is:

This is my journey. 

You might enjoy some another of my posts about making decisions.

Here is on on making decisions easily. This is a quick little video blog you might enjoy.

If making decisions is an area you would like to grow, check out Empowered You. It is available online now!

All my love,

Brenda