Live by Choice, Not by Chance

Julie Murphy • January 27, 2016

Every day we are bombarded with choices. What to wear, where to grab lunch, what route we want to take to work and a host of other options are constantly flying at us all the time. And we seamlessly make the decisions. We all manage to dress ourselves, feed ourselves, make it to and from work, and live pretty consistent lives.

Why, then, do so many of us get crippled with decision overwhelm? Specifically, why is it so hard to us to choose to be happy? On the one hand, we are constantly viewing images of what happiness looks like. It’s expensive handbags and a jet set lifestyle with beautiful people a drinks that have no calories.

Though all of those things are nice, none of that stuff is actually going to make you happy. Happiness is something you’re going to have to work out on your own.

As a financial planner, I cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the right products and services for your money. And I’ve been privileged enough to help many people create a life they love at whatever start point they are at.

One of the main things that I’ve learned through this process, though, has nothing to do with money. It’s about choice. And the best choice many of my clients had to learn how to make was the one of happiness.

A foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. ~ James Oppenheim

Were their problems instantly solved once they made the choice? Did everything all of a sudden magically go their way? Did they look in the mirror and adore everything about themselves and their lives? Of course not! But what did happen is that they knew they had the power and the tools to make enormous, scary chances in their lives.

People think happiness is a destination. It’s not. It’s a way of living. It’s a fraternity you have to continuously pay your membership fees to. Once you decided to join, though, all of those roadblocks that kept you up at night with overwhelming anxiety will get a lot easier to traverse.

Action step

A goal is a dream with a deadline. ~ Napoleon Hill

Live by choice, not by chance. Wealth rarely just falls into your lap. Neither does happiness. Like wealth, happiness is earned. And you earn it by choosing.

We look at success athletes, actors, heads of companies and other people considered wealthy and successful to have it all. They have enough money to buy whatever they want. They travel. They lead glamorous lives.

But you know what? They worked for it. They spent decades sacrificing for their craft, focusing intensely on their goal and building their destiny. Behind every successful person is a long, long journey set in motion not by chance, but by choice. Let’s view the choice of happiness the same way.

So here’s what you can do. Every day set a goal for yourself to be happy, and make the deadline for that goal bedtime. No more dragging your feet about this choice. Nothing in your life will be more important because nothing will change, empower or enlighten you more than choosing to be happy.

Like this blog? Share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter Financial Consciousness. And join the conversation on Facebook where we’ve grown together and act as a community to promote financial healing.

The post Live by Choice, Not by Chance appeared first on Julie Murphy.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Share Blog On Social

A woman is smiling while money is falling around her.

A book titled the spiritual laws of money

Get it NOW!

Recent Blogs

The Life You're Waiting For Is Waiting for You to Wake Up

By Julie Murphy • August 4, 2026

What if nothing is wrong with your life? What if the frustration you feel... The anxiety around money... The constant striving... The feeling that something is missing... Isn't a sign that you're failing. What if it's simply your soul trying to wake you up? So many of us spend our lives searching for the next thing we believe will finally make us feel whole. More money. A different relationship. A better job. A healthier body. Another vacation. Another achievement. Another finish line. Yet somehow, after every accomplishment, that feeling quietly returns. "There has to be more than this." And there is. Not because your life is lacking. Because you've been taught to look for fulfillment in places it was never meant to come from. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that life is always working for us, even when it doesn't feel like it. Every challenge... Every financial struggle... Every relationship... Every fear... Every success... They're all invitations. Not punishments. Invitations to become more aware. Because awareness changes everything. You can't transform a belief you don't know you're carrying. You can't heal a wound you refuse to acknowledge. You can't create a different future while living from yesterday's programming. This is why I don't believe true wealth begins with your bank account. It begins with your awareness. Money simply magnifies the relationship you already have with yourself. If you believe you're not enough... No amount of money will ever feel like enough. If you don't trust yourself... It won't matter how much financial security you create. You'll still feel uncertain. Real wealth isn't something we earn. It's something we uncover. It's been within us all along, buried beneath years of conditioning, fear, expectations, and stories that were never ours to begin with. When we begin clearing away those layers, something beautiful happens. We stop chasing. We start creating. We stop reacting. We begin choosing. We stop living from fear. We begin living from love. That's where abundance begins. Not outside of you. Inside of you. That's why I created the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge . Not to teach you how to make more money. Not to convince you that positive thinking changes everything. But to give you space. Space to slow down. Space to become aware. Space to notice the patterns you've been living from without even realizing it. Over the course of 21 days, you'll begin seeing yourself differently. You'll explore the beliefs shaping your financial life. You'll reconnect with your intuition. You'll learn how your emotions influence your decisions. Most importantly... You'll begin remembering that you already have everything within you to create a life that feels aligned, peaceful, and abundant. The challenge isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've always been. If your heart has been whispering that it's time for something different... Listen. It may be the beginning of everything. I'd love to walk this journey with you. Because your greatest investment has never been in the stock market. It's always been in yourself. And when you awaken that relationship... Everything else begins to change. With Love, Julie P.S. Sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't happen because life changes around us. It happens because we finally become aware of the life we've been creating, and realize we have the power to create something new. If you're ready, I'd love to have you join us for the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge.