Should you or shouldn't you?

Should you or shouldn’t you?

It’s a question that we ask ourselves from the moment we wake up in the morning.

Should I go to work today?
Should I shower today?
What should I eat for breakfast?
What should I wear?
Should I call so and so, or email them?
Should I ________?

We live in a world of should because we have been raised in a world of should. From the time we were toddlers we have been told we what should and should not do from a variety of different people--our parents, our teachers, our friends, the media etc.  

As adolescents and teenagers, we sought to break from the status quo and test the shoulds, but eventually most of us found ourselves back in the world of shoulds.  

Our rebellion only lasted so long (and our parents are thankful for that.)

In essence, though, “should” is really just an opinion or point of view.  It’s a judgment.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we have taken the shoulds we grew up with and/or experienced and incorporated them into our own lives and allowed them to direct our choices.  

In reality we have to live with some of the shoulds in order to be accepted into society. If we didn’t follow the shoulds, many of us would be in jail. (Some shoulds definitely have a moral and legal component to them.)

But at the same time, the shoulds can be confining. You can get trapped by the shoulds.  They can box you in.

My questions to you are , are you happy with the shoulds you are living by?
Are you content with the shoulds that direct you?
Do you give yourself opportunities to balance out the shoulds with your own desires?

Because at the end of the day we do have a choice.  

We don’t have to follow or listen to the shoulds, we could chose a different way.

Should can be changed to could, giving us a sense of choice and autonomy.

A should is someone's way, but it doesn't have to be yours. 

It's Your Life. Live It Boldly.