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I'd like to share a post I found on another subreddit which I found to be very direct and insightful. Thank you to author and /r/apotheoun moderator /u/Ztiller1!

 **Is this the life I choose?**  That is the single most powerful question that gets me from procrastinating, to action.  Every time you find yourself doing something that you know, in your heart, is not what you truly want to be doing ask yourself that question.  **"Is this the life I choose? Is this who I want to be?"**  It's a more powerful and more personal version of the old saying about not giving up what you want the most, for what you want right now.  By asking yourself this, you put your current state into perspective. You turn procrastination and other temptations from a passive influence, to a concious decision. If you need to study, or go to the gym, yet find yourself on the couch watching TV then you ask yourself "Is this the life I choose?"  Every time you feel tempted to eat something sugary or unhealthy, ask yourself "Is this the life i choose?"  Look at yourself from the third person perspective. Picture yourself lying in that sofa, and compare it to a third person picture of yourself passing that exam or looking at a fit body in the mirror.  For some people, it might also work to instead imagine someone you do not want to be. By picturing people whom you do not respect, and think to yourself "Do i choose his life? Is this who I want to become? Am I not better than that?"  By asking yourself this question, and imagining yourself (or someone else) from a third person perspective, you can push yourself into doing what you know you truly want the most by reflecting on the choice and consequences of what you're doing right now. 

This mindset can be applied to any personal aspiration, including RPW related goals such as fitness, deference, character, and more. When you catch yourself having a short temper with your husband, ask yourself - "Is this the life I choose?" When you catch yourself being impatient with the kids or ungrateful toward family or envious of your friends, ask yourself - "Is this who I want to be?" When you feel tempted to dress like a slob or skip gym day or any other sort of trading long term goals for short term gratification, ask yourself these questions. If you were looking in on your life from the outside, would you be impressed with the kind of person that you are?


[–]littleteafox11 points12 points  (0 children) | Copy Link

I really like this. I think for the majority of my life I got kinda stuck in the more passive mindset of "Life is what happens to me" rather than "this is the life I'm creating for myself". Not very empowering, that's for sure.

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (3 children) | Copy Link

This is kind of a flip of my mantra I've been working on "This is it" I will have to look up the entire wording when I get home but the premise is essential -- "This is my life, my life is not out there, embrace the life I have. This is it" I'm a dreamer - big time. I like to think about all the what ifs and whys and sometimes I end up in the clouds thinking about all the things my life COULD be instead of what my life IS and I fail to embrace today.

Thank you for sharing, Alice, this is a really nice perspective. :)

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (2 children) | Copy Link

kind of like this?

This is actually the next post from the same author that I am considering exposting in the future!

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child) | Copy Link

Yes Alice! Spot on :) :)

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy Link

I remembered i needed to share this with you:

"This is it." Whenever I remember, I repeat it to myself. Waking early to write and work? This is it. Walking my daughter to school on a warm afternoon? This is it. Potty training my son? This is it.

This mantra is grounded in gratitude. It says, be thankful for this, whatever it is, because this is it. I need to see that my life is lovely and wonderful just the way it is, even when the week is hard and gratitude feels far-flung. The life I want isn't out there somewhere. It's right here. This is it.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child) | Copy Link

Thank you for posting this. I love the positivity theme that is running rampant in this sub as of late.

It's a more powerful and more personal version of the old saying about not giving up what you want the most, for what you want right now.

I actually had this as my desktop picture for a while. I uploaded to imgur if you want it. Just a note: I don't know who made that so credit needs to go to the unknown creator of the pic. I found it on /r/motivation or something like that.

edit: It is /r/getmotivated not /r/motivation. Not even sure that exists!

[–]QueenBee1261 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy Link

Wow I love that desktop. What a powerful quote!

[–]StephanieCitrusFascinating Woman, 24, 6 years strong1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy Link

What a powerful sentiment! There have been times when I feel hopeless but this is a concrete reminder that so very much of my day to day life comes down to my own decisions.

[–]cxj1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy Link

Great post, needed this, thanks.

You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea.

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