Learning how to let go of that which no longer serves your greatest potential is an invaluable tool in manifesting what you desire and living a joyful life. Hence, taking the time to explore what resides within you and how it relates to your goals and dreams will help you determine what you may need to release. The beliefs we hold affect more than what we create; they often influence how we enjoy and experience what we create as well. As you strive to provide yourself with the optimum arsenal for creating an extraordinary life, consider another interesting aspect related to the results you create and the life you experience. Do you choose? Or, do you make decisions?

That may sound like a silly question to some of you; however, there is a distinction between making choices and making decisions. Regardless of how similar they may seem to be, a life created entirely by decision-making can be extremely different from one created with the power of choice. A decision, as defined in the dictionary, is... settling conclusively all contention or uncertainty about; the passing of judgment on an issue under consideration or the act of reaching a conclusion, while choice is defined as... the power, right or liberty to choose, the act of making a selection. Sometimes our choices and decisions may end up being the same action. Nevertheless, because the process of each differs, it is worth our while to gain greater awareness of which process we engage most frequently. After all, the greatest power each one of us has is the power to choose.

A personal example of decision versus choice reminds me of when I was applying to colleges and universities as a high school student. As I perused the glossy brochures of various institutions, I was automatically logging their proximity to my home. My core beliefs lent themselves to a practice of pleasing my parents as much as possible, consequently being a good daughter. They spoke openly about their desire for me to remain reasonably close to home; therefore, as I accrued information on multiple schools, distance became a large part of my decision-making process. Ultimately, I decided to attend a university located slightly less than an hour from home even though deep down inside I yearned for an adventure across the country or abroad. I looked at all the information including my goal of pleasing my parents and their wish for me to stay close in order to make a sound decision. What I did not do was give myself the ability to choose.

When we do not exercise our power to choose, we often remove the ability for others to choose how they may interact with us in relation to our selections at the same time. My parents may have supported other options that I did not allow myself to consider. Ironically, when I made decisions for all of us I took away their ability to choose whether they would fully support my other interests. If I had given myself the freedom to make a true choice, I am certain there would have been very different options explored in addition to the university I attended. How often do you truly consider your choices? Do you give yourself the freedom to choose more than what is presented or seemingly possible, or do you decide what is best by examining what is in front of you?

Another interesting aspect of choosing versus decision-making is the connection you have with your choice. When you choose, you have ownership of your choice, it is your selection; conversely, a decision can be based on all sorts of criteria including your own insecurities or perceived obligations to others. When I was growing up, we had a neighbor that resented every time a holiday was upon us because she dreaded the large family gatherings that comprised every celebration. After each gathering, she complained about how she had spent her time. When my mother asked her why she went, she replied that she had to go. She made her decision to go holiday after holiday based on her family's expectations rather than her own choice. Regardless of her perceived obligations, she had an opportunity to choose to follow through with her decision to attend and do so knowingly. This may also have facilitated her ability to enjoy herself. By simply making her decision based on the expectations of others, she did not accept it as her own. As a result, she harbored resentment toward them, blaming them for her course of action as if she had no choice than to repeatedly show. Without a true connection to her actions, she showed up with an anger appetizer along with her potluck dishes. How many times have you decided to be present somewhere and felt resentment about your decision or the event/people you went to see?

Your core beliefs can greatly affect the decisions you make regarding how you enjoy what you create as well. Growing up in a conservative area, I heard constant remarks and proclamations about what was acceptable or reasonable to buy and enjoy. It was important to me to be aware of the most valuable things in life, which influenced my decision-making process. In an effort not to appear ostentatious or materialistic, I was careful to censor my purchases. It was years later when I considered that the practice of not allowing myself the choice to buy or enjoy something silly or luxurious in order to avoid someone's negative perception, was not much different than the practice of only purchasing certain items for the purpose of projecting a specific image. That is when I began to choose freely for myself without the need for any justification.

Decision and choice can go hand in hand or be mutually exclusive. As you embark on the journey of creating the life you envision, your choice can be an invaluable part of creating what you truly desire. Choice can help you take ownership of your decisions and have peace about them. It can also enable you to recognize limitations that may or may not be your own thus providing you with more freedom. Becoming more aware of the role choice plays in your life can have a profound effect your ability to take more responsibility for your actions and create enhanced results. Every moment holds the extraordinary gift of choice that many overlook. May you harness your power and give yourself this amazing gift so more than creating what you desire, you can fully enjoy what you create as well.

With this fantastic personal work, how else can you add power and strength to achieving your desired transformation? Tune in next month to find out how...