We live in a world of choices. That’s the gift we were given as human beings; the ability to make choices. Unfortunately, many of us, the majority in fact, are not making choices, rather we are just getting by. What we’re really doing is working hard (unconsciously, of course) to keep things the same. But as my father, Bill Nasby, always said, “If you aren’t living on the edge, you are taking up too much room!”
If you are not making conscious choices, you are not living on the edge. What is out there on the edge? Opportunity. Growth. Abundance. So, what stops us from living that full, rich life that everyone says they want, and then works so hard to avoid? We have two voices that speak to us; one speaks in one ear and tells us to, ‘Go for it!’, and the other voice speaks in the other ear and says, ‘You better not, that’s a bad idea’. Now, if you even recognize that there are two polarized voices, you’re moving in the right direction. If you are witnessing such a pull, it means you are present, and being present is a win. The next step towards that edge is asking this question, ‘Which voice is coming from LOVE and which voice is coming from FEAR?”
What does fear beget? What does love beget? You know the answer to both. If you plant nightshade, you grow nightshade. I met a woman this year who was heroic and courageous on so many levels. She was diagnosed with a terminal disease over a decade ago. As she was preparing to die, and her husband was recording her to create a video diary for her children to remember her by, she had a wake-up call. Watching herself in one of the videos was like a splash of cold water, a slap across her face. She realized she did not want to die. So, she made a choice – to live.
This is where the story gets really good. You see, she did the opposite of what mainstream society was telling her to do. Instead of accepting her death sentence, putting her affairs in order and preparing for the transition out of this life, she chose to give up her financial security, her lovely home and her life as she knew it, for a ‘fun pass’. The fun pass included the purchase of a year-long pass to an adventure/theme park and a boat for her family to get out on the water to play and fish. She asked her husband to leave his job and they make the choice to take their young children and just play. They sold everything, and took a chance. She listened to the voice that was coming from love that whispered, ‘Go be with your family and heal – play’. She saw past the voice that said, ‘You better be responsible and get your affairs in order. You better make sure your husband has a comfortable home for your children and has money in the bank when you go. You are a burden and you should feel badly for the upset you are creating,’ and so on. Well, 17 years later, she is alive and well and her children are now through University. The disease didn’t take her life; it dissolved like a sugar cube when she followed her heart.
Courageous is the one who makes choices which come from love. Courageous is the one who trusts that the voice coming from love will bestow more love. Courageous is the one who knows what he or she wants and allows it to unfold without doubt and worry. So today I ask that you take a moment to listen to both voices and ask which one is coming from love. Then act on that one. Be courageous today!
Contributor: Erica Nasby
The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. None of the information presented is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
