Inge van der Velpen
Published April 4th, 2024 in My Journey
It is so strange, I'm able to make changes in my life that I couldn't before. Like there wasn't any necessity before I was diagnosed with cancer. The word cancer had scared me, it felt like I was confronted with death. This confrontation made it possible for me to change.
Why am I able to change now and not before? I realized that it is all about choosing. Everything we do, is a choice we make. So I understood that when I felt stressed, it was because of the choices I made.
So what would happen if I changed my choices? And that was when it hit me. I let daily life take control over my life. I got angry when the kids wouldn't listen or didn't hurry in the morning to go to school. It was my choice to get angry, not my kids. I could choose to approach them differently. What would that get me? Not three angry faces, that is for sure. I'm convinced that if I would show love and attention, my kids would have happy faces and will listen sooner.
So I made a choice, I don't want to be stressed anymore. Better said, I want to be more relaxed and show more love. I want to laugh more, I want to see my kids laugh, I want to enjoy every moment. I realized that the moments you take for granted are the ones who are the most valuable.
The quote: 'Sometime it's just the little things that make you happy', is more true that I thought it was.
But the most important choice is choosing me! If I want to be more relaxed, more loving, laugh more, I have to take care of myself. That has to be priority number one.
Before, it was more important to me that my husband and kids were happy. The result there was that I didn't make time for myself and what I needed. Now I make sure that I'm happy, knowing that everyone is more happy if I'm happy. Maybe this sounds selfish, but it is far from. It is about taking care of yourself and not letting daily life take care of you.
The only way to make sure that you live the life you choose, instead of being lived by the expectation of our society is to step out of it. Stepping out of my automated daily routine and letting go of any expectation there is of me, was the best choice I could make for myself. It made me capable to be me.
Find out what gives you meaning in life, by reading my book and get inspired by my story.
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