Expansion

Expansion and enlargement are the natural byproducts of growth. And this applies to your choices as well. I mentioned before, there are two types of choices: those with power, and those without. Choices that are powerful are loaded with intention and commitment. Those that are powerless only appear to be choices, but they are not.

For example, you chose what clothes to put on this morning. Or did you? Was there really a choice involved? If your choice was merely 'choosing' the outfit that was clean, or the one that was closest to the front of the closet, or the one that you've worn a thousand times before when the weather was just as cool (or hot, or rainy) as it is today, was that really a choice?

If your choice is merely picking which well-worn path to walk, is that really using your power of choice? Didn't you make the choice about which outfit to wear when you purchased it at the store, when you added it to your closet in the first place?

And, then again, didn't you make that choice years before then when you made the choice to only buy certain outfits, certain sweaters, and certain brands? By limiting yourself to a certain subset within a broader category, you have purposefully stopped expansion. The cowboy who only wears Levi jeans has already chosen against designer jeans, so it doesn't matter what he picks to wear out of his dresser drawer, his choice is limited.

The power of intention is the personal power/confidence/inner strength that comes to us when we choose outside of our normal routine. It is a confidence that arrives as fear but then grows to something larger through acceptance. It is an inner growth that occurs when we allow our subset of choices to be increased.

Does that mean that the cowboy has to wear designer jeans every day? No, of course not. He does however have to be willing to change. If he's not able to change, then he's stuck. And that is not growth.


Assignment: Make a choice that is outside of your normal subset in a certain category. If you're going to a restaurant, then don't go to one of the five that you always go to - go somewhere completely different! If you're driving home from work, don't take the same route that you always take - take the long way! If you're applying for a job, apply for one that is completely outside of your comfort zone - you just might get! Join a new club, take a new class, visit a new friend, etc.

Expand your subset of choices, the subset that you chose decades ago, and watch yourself grow today!


I'd love to hear what you think.