
Every single day - you have options.
All paths are different, but no matter how different they are, the one thing we all have in common is options. Every day you have the choice to make decisions that will bring you peace or pain. It has to be a priority in your life to protect your peace and make choices that actively give you the space to do that. My advice is to go somewhere beautiful in nature. It doesn't have to be in the valley of a mountain or a cabin in the woods under soft rain -- it can start in your backyard, on your friend's porch, or looking up at the night sky. This environment has a special ability to provide space for peace.
You can spend your day putting yourself in scenarios that bring you heartache, pain and regret, or you can take the time to protect your peace. It's your choice. You have the capability to do anything that you choose to, but what needs to change is your mentality towards those choices. You might be carrying around the weight of those previous paths and choices thinking that they define you, but they don't. Be real with yourself and know that sometimes you have gone down the wrong path. Remember the pain and use that knowledge to seek out choices that will add to your life.
Some of the choices that we make create patterns in our day-to-day life. Take a moment to think of a pattern you notice daily, and recognize when you picked up the habit. Is the pattern adding to your life? Sometimes that very thing, when subtracted, can actually add to your life. I know this first hand. I found that some bridges need to be burned because they only lead you back to destruction. There were people that I removed from my life and then discovered I had more peace as a result. There were habits that once led to my destruction, but when removed, I grew. I recall many toxic environments that I had to eliminate, and once I did, I received clarity.
Cultivate your vision of yourself. Think about it hard. Evaluate your vision. Visualize yourself in your best form. Does this version of you still have the same habits? What does a day in this version of your life look like? What habits, people, and environments has this version left behind? It starts with small changes, and those changes look different to every journey. You may feel that you spend too much time around people and that you're emotionally tired. Look at your options. You are in control. If it doesn't feed your fire to spend time with someone, use that time to find a quiet spot just for you and your thoughts. Prioritize your clarity, your peace, and your vision. The rest of the world will take notice, and your life will begin to shape into something you never dreamed was possible. You got this. It's rehab time.
It all starts with you.