by asia1324

Created on: July 19, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

A friend once told me he does things that feels good and stays away from the things that make him feel bad. I then thought to myself, When have I ever asked if this feels good before making a decision?

Our everyday choices affect our life in so many ways: Taking on a project because we do not want to look bad in front of our boss; saying yes to hanging out with a friend that totally drains our energy because we don't want him/her to feel bad; choosing a profession because we want to make our families proud of us or; not taking an hour to ourselves because we do not want to seem like a selfish mother. All of these common choices are made to make others feel better, but what about us?

I also remember I told this same friend that I wanted to have an experience of traveling to a country that was not in Europe and having an experience of really immersing myself into the people and culture. To this day, I remember his face and his comment So then do it. Like it was so matter of fact. Growing up in a conservative Indian family, all these thoughts went through my head: But what if no-one wants to come with me, My mother won't understand, It may be dangerous etc.

I finally got the courage to do it and travel to Peru, albeit not alone, but I did stay with a Peruvian family and attempted to learn the language. It was some of the best weeks of my life.

This one choice of doing something that I wanted to do and not giving into the fears of others or society changed my life in so many wonderful ways. That was five years ago. I did not know it at the time, but that would not be my only time going to Peru. I ended up meeting the love of my life and married in the most mystical city on Earth, Cusco Peru.

I have also traveled to over 15 countries since then (many alone), become fluent in Spanish and have become a pretty sassy salsa dancer.

Along the way, I had to make many more choices, and many of them were not easy ones. However, when I stopped to ask myself, Is this what I really want?- even through the tough times, I knew I was doing it for me and somehow, even if the outcome didn't turn out the way I hoped, I knew I had made the right choice.

Everything in life is about choices. They affect every part of your life: your thoughts, your feelings, your actions and ultimately your experiences. Even though we all have the right to make our own choices, there are some that put you on the path that you were destined to be on and others that take you off that path.

It may not be obvious, but many of us have had the feeling of making the right choice. Making the right choice does not mean that things become really easy and that there will be no fear. However, there usually is this underlining sense of, This feels right. When one makes that true choice, pure joy is usually felt because it means your are on your soul's path.

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