All I Had to Do Was Decide
This is how alignment works—in breath, in patience, and in a packed gym.
This is how alignment works.
Not with force.
But with choice.
Earlier today, on my way to the gym, I set a quiet intention:
I want to feel calm.
I want to feel present.
I want to feel secure.
I let the feeling lead.
I imagined how my day might unfold if I embodied those words.
I even thought about something I wanted to buy—not from lack, but from the vibration of having.
When I got to the gym, it was unusually packed.
I tossed my things into a locker and realized…I left my water bottle in the car.
Sigh.
I felt the familiar urge to get annoyed.
But instead, I remembered
I chose calm.
So I walked back through that packed parking lot, not rushing, not fussing.
Just…calm.
Then I sat on the leg press, ready to fire up my legs.
But my earphones didn’t say “Connected.”
Because they were dead.
Unlike me.
That one stung.
I was excited to start a new audiobook.
And for a moment, the old version of me tried to negotiate:
“Maybe just cut the workout short. Go home.”
But a stronger part of me knew better.
I breathed.
I chose calm again.
And something shifted.
Without the distraction of sound, I noticed something else
My breath.
My movement.
My power.
My body and mind were synced in a way I hadn’t felt in a while.
I didn’t realize how much I was missing while '“March Madness” or “Squabble Up” blasted in my ears.
Then I heard it.
The gym's playlist.
Songs from middle school.
I had never noticed the music before.
I was present.
Later, I sat in the sauna.
Two guys were already in there.
One was much older, playing his music out loud on his phone.
No one had headphones.
And again, a part of me wanted to feel irritated.
I had mentally prepared for silence. I was prepped to meditate while I bake like a rotisserie chicken.
But instead, he blasted Esperanza Spalding.
Then Gregory Porter.
He even sang along.
At one point I nodded.
I might’ve even Shazammed the songs.
But what I really did was surrender.
I sat there—sweating, smiling, vibing with strangers.
And I realized…
This is what secure feels like.
Not the absence of noise.
But the presence of peace—right where you are.
As I walked back to the car, still laughing inside, my phone rang.
It was a coaching request.
Paid.
Tonight, I’m buying what I wanted to buy.
All I had to do…
was decide.
A practice to try
Before your next routine task—whether it’s the gym, the grocery store, or washing dishes—pause and ask:
“How do I want to feel today?”
Calm? Present? Confident? Safe?
Then let the feeling guide your choices.
Let it show you what’s already waiting for you—
beneath the noise, the rush, and the autopilot reactions.
Be Well.