On February 7, 1995, I was given a pretty dramatic chance to choose life and claim my power.  I remember the date because it marked a pivotal change in my life.  In the morning, I was getting ready for work.  Looking in the mirror I said, “God, I really need a change.”  (Next time I will be more specific!)  I got to work and went about doing my job.  At lunchtime, I went out and the next thing I knew it was two weeks later.  While crossing the street I had been run over by a large truck.

Hey, now I can legitimately say, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”  In fact, my friends tell me that was how I once answered the question, “How do you feel?” during the first two weeks.  I sustained a couple of broken bones, lots of soft tissue damage, sprained ligaments and a head injury.  Looking back on it now, I can say I was pretty much wiped out physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

One of my friends told me later that while she was visiting me at the hospital, she got the sense that I was choosing whether or not to live.  Seeing that I am writing this reflection, you know my decision.  Yes, indeed, I chose life.  At that time, it was not necessarily a conscious choice.  Believe me, I was out of it.  Rather, it was a choice made by my essence, my spirit.  I sometimes think it was something beyond me that was keeping me going.  I believe the life forces beyond me and within me started working together and kept me alive.  Then my spirit and my conscious self continued to choose life many times during the recovery process—and continue to do so today.  Why?  The better question:  Why not?

Before us, we always have a choice between life and death.  Now it may not be on the physical plane of bodily life or death.  But I would propose that every thought we have and every act we do is either life-giving or not.  Every thought and action has ramifications for us and for those around us—and beyond.  It would be wise for us to be alert to what we are thinking and doing.  It would be wise to consciously choose each thought we have and action we do.

We all have a life force within us.  We all have power within us.  By our thoughts, choices and actions we can give our power away by choosing  to be the “victim” of other people’s words and actions.  When we choose to be the victim we are giving another person power over us.  We take on the other person’s “truth” as our truth.  Surprise!  The other person’s truth is just that:  the other person’s.  It has nothing to do with us.  We always have the choice of whether or not to take on and believe what another person has said.  Be aware of the power that you have.  Be aware of the times you give that power away.

Choose life and claim your power!