Freedom to Choose the Life You Want to Live

I have recently been going through a process of transformation, as I do every three to seven years - This time it has taken over eight years for me to realize that some changes need to be made.

When trying to make an important decision, I first ponder my alternatives for a while, then discuss them with a trusted friend (usually my husband), and then after weeding out a few, I make a list of pros and cons to the change I am considering. 

After feeling overwhelmed for a while in my beautiful antique/gift shop which is way big for one person to manage (over 6,000 sq. ft. filled with at least a million items!), I decided for my sanity I needed to reconsider what I value the most in my life.  I LOVE my shop and love spending time here; however, over the past eight years I have found myself with less and less time to spend at home doing things around the house, time with my husband, Mother, daughter and now grandchildren.  I am committed to the shop and to a lot of other activities and this has left me more than stressed out and anxious a lot of the time lately, to the point of losing my much needed rest.

So, it was time to take an inventory of my commitments, dreams, and interests.  After a lot of praying and asking God to give me direction, I came to the conclusion that the only way to get off the fence was to change something that would move me forward.  We own the building that my antique store is in, so step one was the decision to put the building up for sale - if it sells, we will close the store - if it does not sell, at the very least I will get a fresh start and can modify and simplify the way I am operating the business.

Boy, once those papers were signed and the sign went up out front, I felt like a bird let out of a cage.  It freed my mind up to think of possibilities for the future rather than being stuck just trying to figure out how to get through each day and accomplish even a few things on my ever increasing long list of "to do's". 

My husband told me "Have faith in yourself - you can do whatever you dream!"  So I took the step of faith and will have to take each day as it comes and adjust my plans accordingly.  Hopefully, we will sell the building and I can retire and enjoy my home, church, and family more - but even if I don't, I feel like I've given myself a new beginning and I'm looking at the world of possibilities with fresh eyes.

If you are struggling with a decision or feel "stuck" or trapped in a dead-end spot in your life, I would encourage you to go through the type of process that I have, pray for God's guidance, and take a step out in faith toward a bright future.  I'm still in the position of operating the store I love, but at the same time able to ponder the possibilities of change and that has refreshed my spirit into a new level of enthusiasm that I had almost lost.

Life is good - enjoy every day!