I used to think that freedom meant boundlessness. I used to think it was like looking at a vast horizon with every possibility in the world.
I used to think freedom meant the ability to choose literally anything at anytime… and to change my mind at the float of a feather.
I know many people who fear making a choice because it will limit their options. And I totally get that. I’ve been there.
But here’s what I’ve noticed of late:
Making a clear decision opens up a deeper level of freedom that you don’t get when you stay on the fence.
A clear “No” frees us up to experience a “Hell yes!”
A firm boundary creates a safe territory in which we can express ourselves freely.
Laser focus allows us the freedom to go deeper than we ever would have with our buckshot attention firing at lots of things at once.
There are billions of men on the planet. And yet I’m choosing one.
This single decision frees me from having to make bazillions of decisions down the line.
Who am I going to spend holidays with? Mike.
Who am I going to go on dates with? Mike.
Who am I going to sleep next to? Mike.
Who am I going to wake up next to? Mike.
Who am I going to invest my mind, body, heart, and soul in for the rest of my life? Mike.
All of the decisions that this single decision is saving me free up heap-loads of time and energy. I can literally experience how spacious that feels in my body as I type this.
The time and energy we save when we’re willing to make a clear decision sets us free.
It’s what allows the static to finally silence so we can sink our teeth into something. It’s where the possibility of freedom begins.
Everything rests on the surface until you make a choice.
Layers upon layers of unfathomable richness are available if, and only if, we have the courage to say yes or no.
Do we miss out on things when we get off the fence and make a clear move toward yes or no? You bet your bippy we do.
But right in this very moment you’re missing out on 99.99999% of what’s going on around the universe. So am I.
The fact is we can only be where we are. And if where we are is mired in half-baked commitments and half-made decisions, we’re not only missing out on everything that’s going on around the universe, we’re also missing out on the only moment we can possibly experience anyway: right now.
This summer I walked down the aisle toward my man and toward the biggest decision of my life. As I do so, I will be making a bold and definitive choice to be all in.
It’s a choice that will close many doors, for sure.
But I cannot wait to experience the infinite freedom of the new doors that will swing wide open the moment we say, “I do.”
What are you ready to say “I do” to in your life? What are you ready to say “I don’t” to? When do you find you struggle with decisions the most? The least?
Please leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your experience.
Kate Northrup created financial freedom for herself at the age of twenty-eight through building a team of more than 1,000 wellness entrepreneurs in the network marketing industry. Her philosophy is that if you free yourself financially, you can be fully present to your purpose on the planet. She is also the author of Money: A Love Story, Untangle Your Financial Woes and Create the Life You Really Want (Hay House, 2013). Kate and her work have been featured on The Today Show, Yahoo! Finance, The Huffington Post, Refinery29.com, and in Glamour, Red, Prima Magazine, Soul & Spirit, and more. She continues to mentor entrepreneurs in creating financial freedom. Find out more and take her free quiz to find out what your relationship with money says about you at katenorthrup.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
