One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear people resenting others for choices they made.  “Blaming others” is a contageous sickness where one is unable to take responsibility for their own life, because the individual feels helpless, miserable, and trapped.  The biggest lie, I think, that the devil would have us believe is that we have no choice.

One of my favorite stories is that of “Spartacus.”  Born a Thracean Nomad near ancient Rome, Spartacus was eventually captured and sold into slavery to become a gladiator.  Tortured and brutalized, he was forced to fight and kill other men for sport.  Spartacus, however, realized that he still had a choice in his life – he could die as a slave or live as a free man.  Upon following his free heart, Spartacus organized a successful slave rebellion against his Roman captors.  For the next two years, Spartacus would command a growing army of freed slaves and peasants against the Roman Empire winning a number of important battles.  When Spartacus finally died, he died a free man.

If Spartacus, the slave, had a choice in his life, then we also have a choice in our lives.  Of course, not all choices are easy, but whether we are in a difficult relationship or have some tough decisions to make about our children or employment or friends, those choices fall directly on us as an individual.  It might seem like a lot of pressure to assume full responsibility for our destinies, but the way I do it is stress-free and simple: In sorting through difficult decisions, I always find it best to follow my free heart.  When I do, it always seems to work out, even when it’s not in the way I expected.

After making a choice with your heart, you have no reason to ever look back and second-guess.  Your heart is what will lead you on your life’s adventures, grant you fulfillment, and help you reach your wildest dreams.  And when, at times, it seems like a heartfelt choice has led you somewhere dark – look up and realized that “hindsight is 20/20” and your heart is teaching something you needed to know.  Never put chains of fear or ropes of disappointment around your free heart – let it be liberated to guide and lead you to your amazing future.  And always realize that when you follow your heart, you have nothing to regret!