When faced with a life-changing decision that should send butterflies down your stomach, the best answer might be found in calm.

The past months a similar calm has overcome me. Thinking about my relationship with my partner and our future together created a sense of peace. Of course we should spend the rest of our lives together. Of course we should get married.

Two weeks ago I listened to this calm and asked my loving soulmate to marry me. And it felt…exactly how it should. It was not a huge relief or a huge celebration, but instead a feeling of doing exactly the right thing without any question or doubt. It was peaceful.

Now for the story…

I couldn’t wait honestly. The minute I had the ring I wanted to ask her. Unfortunately she was away all day and was suspicious. I wanted to surprise her so I closed the living room door and was washing dishes when she arrived home. I told her I had already cooked and eaten and that there was left-over pizza in the living room. In what felt like days, she slowly changed clothes, dropped off her bag and started telling me about her day. I was waiting and waiting for her to enter the living room and finally went in myself and asked her to join me. As soon as she opened the door, there was homemade pizza on the table, wine and candles and an engagement ring waiting for her on the table. I awkwardly started to go to one knee but was sitting on the chair so I ended in a half squat as I asked for the honor of marrying her…and she said yes!

The peaceful decision

The planning to ask her took a bit of thought, but the act of asking took none whatsoever. It was one of those times when the path was smooth and my mind was clear. It was exactly what should be done.

You may encounter some such moment. Maybe it’s when you’re deciding whether or not to start a new business, whether or not to go to school, whether or not to take a trip or whether or not to get married. Listen to your mind and body and see what leaves you with a sense of peace. Although not all decisions are this easy, some are, and often they’re the biggest and best decisions you’ll ever make.