Conscious Decisions

Written by: Faith Saucier, Intern

When I was a child, I would sit in the back seat of my mother or father’s car and stare out of the windows. No matter the length of the ride, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the cars rushing by. But it was more than just a youthful curiosity that got me watching. It amazed me that every single car – every single person – had a unique destination.

Wherever they were going, the drive had purpose. It had intention. Every person was driving in hopes of getting somewhere.

I believe that everyone has their own destination - their own view of what they want their life to look like. As humans we live in hopes of reaching that place, meeting that person or getting that job. We simply want to get somewhere.

But what if life isn’t about that destination? What if life is about what you do to get there? Even if you never reach the place where you think you may belong, you have the ability to spend the entirety of your life making conscious decisions in service of that goal.

We, as humans, are the only creatures on earth who have the full ability to make choices on our own. In everything we think, do and say – we are choosing a headspace. A lifestyle. A direction.

And you, as an individual, have a unique responsibility to yourself. You experience the world in a way that no one else could ever fully understand. Only you have the power to create your own destiny.

Howard Schultz, an American businessman and multibillionaire, once said, “I believe that life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It’s seeing what other people don’t see and pursuing that vision.”

 Accepting responsibility for your future.

Many months ago, I heard that same phrase from someone close to me and I laughed. Back then, it was easy for me to avoid taking any responsibility for the way that my life would turn out. How did any of that have anything to do with me?

The truth is, it had everything to do with me. Last year, I spent many months with goals on my mind, and yet I was not doing anything to achieve them. I maintained wonderful grades and stayed on top of my responsibilities, but I was just going through the motions, waiting for my destination to come to me.

I very quickly learned that life has a tricky way of teaching you to be accountable.

So, I began working on bettering myself every single day. I made conscious decisions – one of them being my choice to apply for a position at Gambel Communications. After months of stagnancy, I knew it was time to take my future into my own hands. So, terrified as I was, I sent in my application, and a few months later I was signing the internship agreement. At the time it seemed like a small step in the right direction; little did I know it would be life changing.

My experience at Gambel has proven that hard work, perseverance, and – most importantly – choosing you, can spark untamed inspiration and productivity in your life.

Have I ever found myself wishing for a different life and hoping to meet a certain destination? Yes. And that’s okay. I believe that it’s hard to learn how to focus on what you’re doing to reach the destination rather than the destination itself.

I have experienced many setbacks, as we all do. I didn’t know if I’d ever come back from some of them. But one of the many things I have learned is that my life is not comprised of what happens to me, but rather what I make happen. It’s about playing ball, not sitting on the sidelines.

I’m thankful for my recent enlightenment to the fact that I will not – I cannot – enjoy this life in all its glory if I am constantly wishing to be in a different place. I cannot expect anything out of life that I’m not willing to work for. I have to make conscious decisions, every day, that I know will put me on my own version of a “path to success.”

And that path is different for everyone. But the ability to make conscious decisions – that is universal. It takes discipline, hard work and recognizing your convictions. It may even take every ounce of your being.

That phrase, conscious decisions, has been on my mind for many months and I will keep it on my mind, hopefully for the rest of time. I hope to continue living with purpose and intention. And I hope the same for all of you.

Being confident in your choices when you don’t know where life may take you isn’t an easy task. But how you decide to live is vital to where you are going.