Every moment brings you choice; new beginnings. Life is dynamic, it is never stagnant or stuck. And just as life is constantly moving, we are always evolving. Our thoughts of yesterday ultimately shape our present moment and the life experience we are encountering right Now.

Though we cannot control life’s happenings, we can control ourselves and own our experiences, that way we shape and mold the next moment, and then the next. Not only do we teach people in our lives how to treat us, we also teach life itself how to treat us. The good news? We are never doomed to our current situations. We always have the choice to change it; to change our perception about it, and to change what we allow to come in from this point forward.

Your life is a direct reflection of what’s on the inside. It’s happening for you, and mostly because of you. And in each moment, with each breath you take, you can choose differently. You get to decide how to respond to the world around you and how you navigate the world inside you. It’s your choice what meaning to attach to your life and its happenings. So, do you choose to feel good, or to feel bad? Will you choose to own your experiences or shrink to skate blame and disempower yourself?

You have full control over the quality of your experience and you can change it anytime you like. No one can make you feel anything. How you respond to people, places and things is solely your authority. If you feel badly, you’ve allowed yourself to feel that. When you decide that it’s time to feel good more than not, so it shall be. The type of thoughts you focus on will directly affect whether you feel good or bad. What shows up is what you asked for, whether summoned directly or indirectly. And how you handle what has shown up affects your joy in each moment.

You cannot control anyone else. And they cannot control you. Let go of that tremendous (fruitless) responsibility and weight. Release attachment to expectations, manipulations and the stories you tell yourself about everyone else and why they do the things they do. The sooner you learn to relinquish (your false sense of) “control” over people and things, the sooner you’ll feel light and liberated. Sometimes it’s easy to blame and point fingers for why we feel as we do, but by taking ownership, this empowers us all to change our lives.

You are a beautiful and powerful creator. You get to choose, in every new moment, how life best suits you and create a magical masterpiece that feels amazing to you. A unique experience, where you get to fulfill your greatest potential. And that potential is simply being fully present in each moment, with each breath, and living and loving it wholly. You don’t have to be or do anything more (or less) than you are or do now.

Shake off the weight of the past. There are no such things as “mistakes,” or good or bad. Those terms are all very subjective. Forgive yourself and give yourself permission to leave the baggage behind. By bringing it with you into the present moment, you may be holding on to old stories and pain that no longer serve you … you cannot erase the past. You can, however, change it by changing right Now. All it takes is a shift in perception and focus to bring an experience from “bad” to “good.” What we call challenges are simply opportunities for growth and learning. Ditch the burden of shame and guilt you carry and absolve yourself from its continual punishment. You are good, you are good enough and you always did the best you could with the knowledge and information you had.

You’re worthy of happiness and love. And until you realize that, and feel it, you will never accept it or feel it from anyone or anything else. Self-love is a practice we need to engage in daily. Affirm how beautiful and perfect you are, as is, each day. Allow yourself to shine. Remind yourself that you’re doing a great job. Be gentle with yourself as you would a child or friend. We are all in this together, we are never alone, and life is a journey of self-discovery and expression. Play a little more, and enjoy each moment.

Take the time, right now, to begin anew. Every time you inhale, you have a choice to allow good in. Let wellness in. Exhale, release the old that no longer serves you. Breathe, breathe. You’re human. If you don’t like what you have chosen in any given moment, choose differently the next. Watch the miracles unfold as you learn to ebb and flow with all that you are, releasing and expanding and choosing joy, love and fulfillment with each new breath.

Camille Lucy is the author of The (Real) Love Experiment: Explore Love, Relationships & the Self. She is also a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Certified Reiki Practitioner, graphic/web designer, business consultant and Vice President of a local non-profit that “rehabilitates people through animals.” www.CamilleLucy.com.