That's Not How I'd Do It!

Have you ever watched someone make a decision and thought, What on earth are they thinking?

Of course you have. We all have.

We watch people make choices about their relationships, careers, money, health, or how they spend their time, and we wonder why they can't see what seems so obvious to us.



And sometimes, because we care about them, we tell them.

But here's a question worth considering: Why do we assume our way is better for someone else?

We all come to this life with different experiences, beliefs, desires, and priorities. What makes perfect sense to me might make absolutely no sense to you.

And that's okay!

I think sometimes we confuse loving someone with thinking we know what is best for them. We want them to be happy, successful, safe, or fulfilled. And because we have our own ideas about what those things look like, we assume that's what they should want, too.

But what if their idea of a wonderful life looks nothing like ours?

One of the things I love most about working with the Akashic Records is their respect for our free will.

The Records don't tell us what to do. They offer information, perspectives, possibilities, and support. They help us understand ourselves and our choices more clearly.

They advise. They don't decide.

And I've been thinking that perhaps that's a pretty good model for how we could treat one another.

We can listen. We can share our experiences. We can offer support or another perspective when it's welcome. We can even disagree.

But we don't get to decide how someone else should live.

And here's another thought: When we expect someone else to make the choices we think are right, are we really supporting them? Or are we trying to make ourselves more comfortable with their lives?

Of course, there are times when someone's choices affect us directly, and we absolutely get to decide what we're willing to participate in or accept. Respecting someone else's choices doesn't mean abandoning our own boundaries.

But there's a big difference between deciding what's right for my life and deciding what's right for yours.

Maybe we could spend a little less time trying to convince people to live the way we think they should, and a little more time being curious about what matters to them.

After all, we have enough to do figuring out our own lives!

So here's a question to sit with over your next cup of tea:

Am I supporting the people I love in creating the lives they want, or am I trying to convince them to create the lives I would choose for them?