REMEMBER THIS: It's the PURSUIT of "happiness" that determines whether we ever actually attain it.
I'm a passionate woman. I'm not just referring to sexual passion~ I'm referring to passion that infuses every aspect of my life, including my work domain.
When I see a client heading straight for a train wreck and I cannot (no matter how vehemently I try) deter them from making choices I know they'll inevitably regret, it's like watching your own kid walk to the edge of a cliff, preparing to JUMP. It's deeply painful for me.
Right and WISE choices or decisions are the hardest to make, because they very seldom yield immediate gratification. The myth we grew up with, says differently. We think, "if I make the RIGHT choice, I'll feel good afterward." Right choices pave our path toward a better, brighter, more rewarding and harmonious future. Wrong choices do not. They never help ya build a safety net for the days ahead.
This is kinda like, if you don't save money while you're young, ya might have no choice but to live out of a shopping cart and be homeless, when you're old. While we can't LIVE in the future, we must try to remain mindful of it, so we have the best chance to THRIVE~ not struggle to survive, the rest of our life.
My stepmom (turning 99 this December) used to say, "experience is the best teacher~ only a FOOL will have no other." I've had some immature, foolish folks come thru my practice, and my trusty Crystal Ball knows precisely how their shortsighted choices will play out for them. It's a frustrating and sorrowful thing to know you can never save someone who has no desire to save themselves. (I'm reminded of my BPD Waif article, here.)
Many people who grew up struggling a lot emotionally, subconsciously have a death wish. Ironically, these are often folks who have a morbid, overwhelming FEAR of death~ yet continue to make choices that often hasten sickness and demise.
Staying in a relationship that's in ANY way toxic or under-satisfying, is one sure way to bring about serious illness. Our Higher Self knows we're just biding our time and ignoring our instincts that shout at us to leave, so it gets our attention by producing disease (dis-ease) in our body that's painful and IMPOSSIBLE to ignore. Unacknowledged emotional pain or discontent manifests in physical body, far more often than most of us realize.
Every wrong, impulsive or self-harming choice we make, takes funds out of our Virtual Savings Account. It weakens and disempowers us, and deters our ability to grow personal success, character and integrity. It keeps our life journey's struggle alive, and for many, ensures it will be never-ending.
What we do not resolve and heal in THIS lifetime, we carry into the next. Old Souls are those who've learned and surmounted many painful lessons, and are conscious, circumspect and determined NOT to keep repeating them, so they can actually achieve contentment and joy.
The caveat is, is you've never gotten to experience light, happy feelings for more than an hour or so, you can't feel worthy and deserving of them, and your vicious cycle of self-defeating choices and disappointing outcomes, continues indefinitely.
The only GOOD thing about shortsighted, wrong choices, is they bring painful lessons, which we have the potential to learn from IF we are willing, and care enough about ourselves and our potential for future happiness, to keep evolving toward. The trick is, being willing to learn from negative outcomes!
Every choice you make today, will either help OR harm you up ahead. If you're feeling sick or tired, you've been making some wrong choices for yourself. If you continue to struggle financially, it's typically due to making unwise, shortsighted choices.
Only YOU are the master of your destiny, and it all boils down to whether you're willing to PURSUE happiness, and make daily conscious choices that incrementally yield positive results that build on each other, or you don't. Nobody can know exactly what's ahead in their future~ but we can gradually prepare and build for a better, more satisfying reality, than we're stuck with RIGHT NOW.