The harsh truth is this.
There's no rescuer coming to save you.
That stuff is all fairytale ploy and marketing finesse. We lap it up as starry eyed children and unfortunately learn from young to give our power away to the 'Other'.
In adulthood, this can develop into a habit of waiting around for other people to 'save us', for other people to change, for external circumstances to change, for ourselves to change and feel better before actually making any effort to change ourselves and do better.
Therein lies the trap of the ultimate LIE.
Wishing upon a star far too often without making an intentional effortful step in the right direction. What a waste of time.
We must first acknowledge and accept that change happens within and from ourselves primarily.
You see, faith without action is in fact, a dead end.
Wishing upon a star, hoping things to change without action, is a stuck-in-the-mud existence.
No, this isn't a depressing article. This is not my intention here.
It is an article based upon REALITY.
My intention is to provide a wake-up call to whomever it applies to.
(What I find is that oftentimes the right people read what they need to read at the right time, an interesting observation I've witnessed over the years. So if you're here reading, I welcome you to take what resonates with you, and leave the rest. Perhaps some or all of it will apply and I hope you find it useful.)
You see, people who live the life of their dreams, have the health of their dreams, have the outcomes of their dreams all have ONE thing in common.
(and here's a hint... it isn't wishing upon a star or waiting for a person or right conditions to rescue them.)
That one thing is ...
Taking ACTION.
People who have the ability to change their outcomes for the better, all take ACTION!
Faith without action = a dead end.
Faith WITH action = a remarkable destiny.
Crying stuck in a situation whether it be physical, psychological or a mix of both, wishing things were different, waiting for conditions to change like the little pony in the headline picture above, equals dead end results.
Wishing won't change anything. Consistent purposeful action, on the other hand, gives you the best possible chances of changing whatever it is you want to change.
By taking action a person comes to realise that the power is WITHIN themselves not outside of themselves. You Take Your Power Back.
By taking action, a person comes to embrace accountability, and the process of change that comes with it.
That may mean changing thinking patterns, behavioural patterns, lifestyle patterns, environmental patterns, you name it. Whatever it takes.
And yes, change IS uncomfortable. Why shouldn't it be?
Do you think the caterpillar transitioning into a magnificent butterfly feels wonderful shape-shifting in a tight cocoon? I bet it's bloody uncomfortable! But the end result of all that effort? WOW. Undeniable beauty and freedom.
The very process of evolution is uncomfortable and different for every living thing on the face of the planet, so what makes us think we humans should be any different? We simply aren't.
The only way we are different is that we have become somehow prone to incorrectly believing that things should be easy for us in life. That somehow life should be easy. (Sorry those Martha Stewart magazines need to be binned right now, nothing is that easy.
Nothing is that picture-perfect. That's just mass marketing for you. Don't believe it!)
Fact is, no one is immune to Life. (Life is a dynamic, ever-changing process of evolution.)
No one is a special snowflake. (Even if at times we like to think we are).
If you have bought into the illusory world of happy commercials, airbrushed photos, and white picket fence with 2.5 children stepford idealism and you scratch your head wondering, 'why isn't my life like that?'... drop me a line. I'd love to give you a reality-check pep talk :)
Fact is, real life isn't like that. There is always a shadow side. You just don't get to see it most of the time (unless you're a therapist).
Borrowing a line from Jordan Peterson, I'm here to tell you that:
Life is suffering.
Borrowing a line from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy I'm also here to tell you that:
Life isn't fair.
Verbalising a line from my very own brain and life experience I want you to know that:
All of the above applies not just to you, not just to me, but to 99.9999% of people on this earth.
Our purpose is to indeed learn how to navigate the suffering and unfairness we experience, and to master the art of evolving amidst it all.
How about that!
What about those successful resilient people who look like they've got the easiest life on earth? I'm assuming you're thinking of those cases right now, yes?
Great question.
Those resilient people, are typically the people who have taken the time (read as: numerous years) to try, to test, to carve out strategies to navigate and manage their problems.
They're most likely the people who don't expect things to come easily.
They're most likely the people who expect to work for it.
And, more than that, they're most likely the people who have placed their mind in a space of unwavering determination, their hearts in the space of unwavering dedication, and their bodies in the space of unwavering action to achieve their goals.
They aren't special snowflakes immune to suffering, they may look it, but no, they're not.
You just don't see the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to get there.
Suffering has different faces. In each human life it's a roll of the dice. What type of 'suffering' will you or did you receive?
So, it comes down to this... how are you managing your roll of the dice?
And:
What is your action plan?
What is your next immediate actionable step to make things better for yourself?
Are you prepared for the discomfort of evolution, to hit your goals?
Are you ready to be accountable for yourself?
Lots to ponder on, lots to assimilate. More importantly, so much to action :)
Marie-Chantal x
p.s. If this article resonated with you at all, I'd love to hear from you. What hit home most for you?
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