Full Body Decision Making
by Alicia Lord
If you are anything like me, you typically depend on logic, reasoning, and thinking to make decisions. It seems I have created invisible barriers between aspects of my life and world, parsing out the aspects that “should” be governed by either thoughts or emotions. Though I identify as a primarily emotion-centered person, there is something about making a choice or decision, especially one that feels big or important, that immediately results in my brain gripping for control. It is as if I cannot possibly make the wrong choice if I have effectively reasoned it away; I cannot make a mistake if my brain is in control.
Even as I write this, I have an urge to roll my eyes and tell myself “that’s ridiculous and not how the world works.” Old patterns, however, are hard to break. Our culture holds a very thought-based value system, and throughout my entire life this has been taught to me, ingrained into my being, by all of the models in my world. Decisions and choices are just problems to be solved, right? Talk it out, make a pro/con list, think about which option will likely have the best outcome…whatever you do, just figure it out! Nobody ever taught me that I could make a decision with my body.
