Mind forged manacles

So many people say to me that they wish they could change their lives as I have done. I was so deeply unhappy with the life, the job, the existence that I had, that I had two choices: to end my life or change it. I chose to take the risk of living a different life and ended up swapping a house for a boat, a career for freedom and support for self sufficiency.

And I am not special. We are all free to make whatever life we choose. But so many people who say they want change immediately follow that up with the reasons why they can't. "I have a dream but...' But I have a mortgage, but I have dependents, but I don't have the money, but, but, but. But these excuses not to change are merely mind forged manacles. We are all free. It is our choice whether to exercise that freedom. As far as I know we only have one life. It is our choice how we live it and how much we live it. A quote from one of my favourite films rather neatly sums it up; from the Shawshank Redemption: 'Get busy living, or get busy dying!,'