Recognizing Choice: Bringing Your Power Back to You

Emily sat at her desk, staring at the email she didn’t want to send. Her job had been draining her for months, but the thought of leaving terrified her. What if she failed elsewhere? And isn’t it really hard to get a job now? Instead of confronting her unhappiness, she’d been saying yes to every project, drowning in work she didn’t care about as a way to ignore her feelings of misery. One afternoon, she realized she had a choice— she no longer had a choice. She could stay at her soulless job and remain stuck, or take a chance. She started building toward her future – whether that meant resigning from her job immediately, or finally working on her side-business while remaining employed. Either way, she began feeling empowered.

In life, it often feels like circumstances, emotions, or external pressures drive our actions. We may feel powerless, caught in cycles or situations beyond our control. But what if the real key to reclaiming our power is by recognizing our ability to choose?

The 3 types of Choice or Action:

1. Action: the deliberate choice to do something in response to a situation or decision, which involves taking steps, making a chance, or moving forward in some way. You actively engaged in the shaping the outcome. For example, you may be like Emily and you are unhappy at work. Action is applying for new jobs, speaking to your boss about a change in direction, or going back to school.
2. Inaction: is the conscious – or unconscious – choice to not act when a decision or response is needed. Inaction can lead to a sense of being stuck, and often involves choosing to let circumstances remain as they are. Going back to the work example, inaction would be Emily recognizing that she is unhappy but choosing to stay silent and do nothing about it. Inaction is paradoxically action in itself.
3. No action: is the choice to intentionally not to take any steps, after thoughtful consideration. It is different from inaction because it is a conscious, strategic decision that staying still or waiting is the best course of action at the time. In the same work situation, no action might mean deciding to hold off on making a change because you are waiting for more information, like a potential promotion or a new opportunity, before making a decision. No action can be empowering decision made from a place of control and mindfulness, as it is a deliberate choice to wait, assess, or allow things to unfold naturally.

How They Are Choices:

• Action is a choice to actively engage.
• Inaction is a choice to avoid or passively allow circumstances to stay the same.
• No Action is a choice to intentionally do nothing as a strategy, often with a goal or timeline in mind.

The Power of Choice: Why It Matters

At its core, recognizing choice is about reclaiming agency over our lives. When we acknowledge that we have a say in how we respond to situations, emotions, and challenges, we shift from feeling like a passive participant in life to an active creator of our experiences. Choice gives us the opportunity to:

• Set boundaries: We can choose when to say yes and when to say no, determining what is healthy for us emotionally and mentally.
• Change our perspective: We can reframe situations, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.
• Take responsibility: By acknowledging our role in decisions, we stop blaming external forces for outcomes and start finding solutions from within.

This awareness is profoundly empowering, because our mindset changes from “this is happening to me” to “I am making conscious decisions about how to navigate this.”

How Our Choices Empower or Disempower Us

Every choice we make influences our sense of personal power and well-being. Some choices lift us, while others may drain us, often without us realizing it. Here’s how we can better understand the nature of our choices:

1. Empowering ChoicesEmpowering choices are those that align with our values, promote personal growth, and reinforce our sense of self-worth. They are decisions that make us feel confident, in control, and connected to our higher purpose. Some examples include:
   • Setting healthy boundaries: Saying no when you need to protects your energy and mental health.
   • Choosing self-care: Taking time to nurture your physical, emotional, and mental well-being helps you show up as your best self.
   • Responding rather than reacting: When we pause before reacting to difficult situations or emotions, we give ourselves the opportunity to choose a response rooted in wisdom rather than impulsivity.
   • Pursuing what brings you joy: Investing time and energy into activities, relationships, or work that bring you fulfillment fosters a sense of purpose.

   Empowering choices require awareness, reflection, and the courage to act in ways that may challenge our comfort zones but ultimately support our growth.

2. Disempowering ChoicesDisempowering choices, on the other hand, are those that keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns, diminish our self-esteem, or disconnect us from our true needs and desires. These choices often stem from fear, avoidance, or external pressures. Some examples include:
   • People-pleasing: Saying yes out of fear of rejection or disappointment leads to resentment and burnout.
   • Ignoring your needs: Overworking, neglecting self-care, or numbing emotions with distractions like social media or substances are ways we avoid our own well-being.
   • Blaming others or circumstances: When we place responsibility for our happiness or success outside ourselves, we lose the ability to take control of our lives.
   • Staying in unhealthy situations: Whether it’s a toxic relationship or an unfulfilling job, remaining in environments that don’t serve us can drain our energy and sense of self-worth.

   Disempowering choices often come from a place of fear—fear of change, fear of judgment, or fear of failure. While these choices may offer temporary relief or comfort, they ultimately leave us feeling stuck and powerless.

Recognizing the Freedom to Choose

Recognizing that we always have a choice, even in difficult situations, can be life-changing. However, this doesn’t mean that making empowering choices is always easy and they are often the hardest one to make, because it requires us to confront fear, uncertainty, or discomfort.

The key to making choices that empower us is awareness. When we pause and reflect on why we’re making certain decisions, we open the door to more mindful, intentional living. Here are a few steps you can take to bring more awareness to your choices:

1. Pause and reflect: Before making a decision, take a moment to check in with yourself. Ask, “Is this choice aligned with my values? Will this action empower or disempower me?”
2. Consider the long-term effects: While some choices offer immediate gratification, they may have negative long-term consequences. Think about how each choice will impact your future well-being and growth.
3. Embrace responsibility: Recognize that even when external circumstances seem overwhelming, you still have a choice in how you respond. Taking responsibility for your choices, even the difficult ones, brings your power back to you.
4. Trust your intuition: Empowering choices are often those that feel aligned with your true self. If something doesn’t feel right in your gut, it’s worth pausing to reconsider.
5. Give yourself grace: Not every choice will be perfect, and that’s okay. The act of recognizing that you can choose is itself empowering. Allow yourself to learn and grow from each decision you make.

By recognizing the power of choice, we can transform from passive observers of our circumstances into empowered creators of our reality. Recognizing choice brings power back to you because it reminds you that, at every turn, you have the ability to shape your own path. Whether through setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, or simply reframing your mindset, every choice is an opportunity to step into your personal power. While not all decisions will be easy, the act of choosing with intention allows us to live in alignment with our values, nurture our self-worth, and foster personal growth.

Reclaim the driver’s seat of your life by empowering yourself through action, inaction, or no action – consciously.