You Made the Choice

When we assume responsibility for other people's happiness, we set ourselves and them up to fail. If we are afraid to stand up to people, our freedom diminishes. Don't become dependent nor let someone else become dependent on you for their happiness. Inappropriate guilt paralyzes us with "if-onlys" and "what ifs." It is not your responsibility to carry around other people's garbage nor to mop up their puddles for them. You are, however, totally responsible in creating your own experience through your choices.

You made the choice. You said the word. You got mad. You quit. You settled too cheaply. You let them come back. You wanted kids. You sold out your dreams. You chose the job. You wanted to move. You trusted the jerk. You let them in. You ate it. You married him/her. You scratched it. You invited her. You asked him. You chose the feelings. You believed him. You treated yourself like dirt. You decided you weren't worth it. You let them threat you like dirt. You got in the backseat that night. You let them talk you into it. You let the little tramp hang around. You bought the damn thing. You gave up.

The bad news is, the burden is on you, but the good news is, the choices are totally yours. Could it be that we expect other people to meet the deepest needs of our hearts? If so, we have placed an impossible burden on those people. Maybe, it is really that we are reluctant to face the truth about ourselves. We need to meet the deepest needs of our own hearts and stop preferring to believe that it is the other person that has the problem.