Who's Driving You Today?

This morning, as my fourteen-year-old daughter left for school, I had to take some deep breaths to stay calm. Her disrespectful banter was really getting to me. It began the night before as we returned from the mall. She was angry that I wouldn't let her buy a second string bikini that was too skimpy and the wrong size. This morning, she began the day with some angry remarks and left the house in 

a bad mood. 

I sat at my computer to write my blog post, still stewing over the demeaning words. As a coach and an experienced mom, I logically know that she is merely going through a normal stage of differentiating herself from me, and I should be grateful that she is doing exactly what she should be doing. But my ego is hurt by her unkind words. 

I opened an email and found just the right inspiration for my bad mood. This is from Debbie Ford, a coach whom I respect and admire. It is from her soon to be published book, The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse.

"It is your soul's journey to bring into balance all of what you are -- the coexistence of opposites, the divine integration of the sum of all the parts. It is the soul's journey to enroll the ego in the quest for the ultimate victory -- the evolution of your own individual consciousness. But the journey must begin by choosing between two forces: one has the power to lead you to new heights; the other can keep you pinned down to a past that is filled with limitation and dread. Don't be fooled. You're living either an ego-driven life or one that is soul centered.

The soul discerns with a laserlike sharpness. The ego judges and rejects with disdain and aggressiveness. The soul takes responsibility.The ego blames and transfers responsibility. The soul moves through life with grace. The ego moves through life with sloppiness, chaos, and drama. The soul feels good about who it is and what it wants and needs to sustain itself, to grow and evolve. The ego never has enough; it can never leave well enough alone or see beyond the current circumstances. It is entitled, confused and feels stuck.

The ego is tirelessly swimming against the current, while the soul sits back and floats in the direction that life is moving in. You're either being guided by your soul or driven by your ego. At any time, you have access to either of these lifestyles, and to all the experiences and emotions they bring with them."

This was the perfect reminder to me that we are always at choice. And today, I choose to be driven by my soul, not my ego. I choose to take responsibility for what I create in my life. 

So when my daughter returns from school this afternoon, I will greet her with an open heart, with acceptance for where she is in her life right now. What will you choose?