In the course of a day how many choices do you think you make? So many times we think that the events of our lives are random. It appears as if they are happening to us, without our influence at all. When you learn to slow down and connect with your own spiritual core you will find at the heart of every choice – it is you who does the choosing.
You choose where to focus your attention. And your focus attracts energy. And from the energy that gathers you send out a signal that attracts it’s match back. Therefore all events, people and things in your life are a direct match for the choices you have made.
The kicker is that many of our choices are made unconsciously. We choose because we always have, because our mother did, because it is the “right” thing to do. Who says? Unexamined choices can get us into trouble.
Sometimes we do not think that we choose at all. During those times it is usually the child in us doing the choosing. And the child chooses from our default patterns, childhood experiences, and decisions made long ago in the environment of our family of origin - not always the best place to make empowered choices from.
Do you know the story about Cooking Ham?
There was a young woman who moved out into her own house. While living at home, she never cooked. Upon the move, she returned home to learn how to cook a few dishes. One of her favorite recipes was for cooked Ham. So she asks her mother to show her how to cook one.
The mother begins to share her expertise with the daughter. She tells her to salt and pepper the meat well. To make sure the vegetables are all cut the same size. Just before the mom places the ham in the pan, she picks up a knife and cuts about a 1?4 of an inch of roast from each end. Then she places the meat in the pan.
The daughter stops her mom. “Mom, I understand why we cut the vegetables the same size – that way they’ll cook uniformly. And I know the reason we salt and pepper the meat all over – and rather heavily, is so the whole roast will absorb the flavor of the seasonings. But why did you cut a little bit off each end of the ham before you placed it in the pan?”
“Because that’s what you do”, said the mom. “But why?”, questioned the girl. “Does it help it cook better?” “Well, I do it this way, because that’s the way my Mom taught me”, said the mother. “But I’m not really sure why we cut the ends off. Next time we go to visit we’ll ask her.”
Several months later the family gathers at Grandma’s house for dinner. As grandma prepares the meal the mother and daughter are in the kitchen with her. The daughter asks her grandmother, “Grandma, you’re such a good cook, and I know you passed all your methods on to Mom, but I can’t figure out why we cut the ends off of the ham before we cook it.” The grandmother turned to her granddaughter and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t cut the ends off before I cook it.” At this point the mother jumps into the conversation and says, “Yes you do! The time you showed me how to cook ham, you started to put it in the pan, and then you put the ham back on the cutting board and cut about a 1/4 inch off each end of the roast. I’ve been doing it that way ever since”, she declared!
The grandmother stared at her daughter in amazement. “Every time you cook a ham you cut a 1?4 inch off the ends? Every single time?” “Yes!” She answered her mother. “Every - single - time, just like you showed me.” “Honey, all I can say is you’ve been wasting a lot of good meat over the years. The only time I ever cut the ends off the roast is if it’s too big for the pan!”
A few questions to ponder:
What are you doing because you think it is the only way to get it done?
What if you took a moment to question your own motives?
What would you do differently – if you only knew you could?
Are the Choices you make empowering ones?
No comments:
Post a Comment