I Want You To Breathe

You, reading this right now. Breathe. Take as deep of a breath as you can.

With all the things constantly happening around us, the endless list of things to do, the goals and challenges we have, the expectations and pressure to perform... it's easy to forget who's driving this ship. Your ship.

It's easy to feel like you're not in control. It's easy to feel like you're on rails, like there's no other option other than to do what's next on the list. It's easy to think about what's next so often that you lose the moment you're in right now.

So I'm here to remind you that you don't have to do those things. You can stand up right now. You can walk out that door and go for a walk wherever the land beneath you stretches. You can leave that meeting. You. Can do. Anything.

Let's do an experiment: look at your right hand. Now think to yourself, "I'm going to lift this hand and put it in the air." Now, on your own time, on your own volition, raise your hand for no other reason because you can.

Now think: when was the last time you did something because you can? Not because you were supposed to or that it's a habit of yours. The last time you made the conscious effort to think "I'm going to do this."

For me, it's been a while. I forgot my freedom today. I forgot that I do things because I choose to, not because I have to. I feel like I snapped out of a trance.

To fix this, I promised myself I'm going to exercise my free-will muscle tomorrow. I'm not going to do anything unless I want to. Not because I have to or that it's expected. What will that entail? I'm not sure, that's for future present-moment me to decide.

I'm challenging you to do it too: really think about what you're doing. Why are you doing it? If the answer isn't "because I want to", stop doing it. Take back control for at least a few seconds. Breathe. Raise your right hand. Remember your power.

And most importantly, despite the world around us making it so easy: don't forget your free will.