There ae two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsbility for changing them.
Dr. Denis Waitley
Who do you blame for the conditions in your life? Did you have a lousy childhood? Was life stacked against you from the beginning?
Or do you find yourself stuck in a dead-end job? Did you start out with high hopes, only to have them crushed by long hours, a desparately needed paycheck and no clear way out?
Or are you a person who understands that the circumstances of your life - how you got to be exactly where you are today - don't matter? Are you one of those rare souls who accepts complete and total responsibility for the life that you're living?
It's hard, I know. I know there are many people who have done many things to you causing you to suffer great harm. I know that you've had dead-end jobs. I know that some days it feels like you can't catch a break. I know you may not have done as well in school as you wanted or that you may have had family dysfunction. I understand completely when you say to me, 'Life is hard.'
I get where you're coming from because I've been there as well. And, yes, there are circumstances that are hard and family can be less than a joy. I agree wholeheartedly with you on those counts.
But I also understand - as I hope you do - that once we become adults, our choices, our decisions and our actions are entirely in our own hands.
Now it may not always SEEM that way. It may SEEM that you HAVE to stay at that dead-end job or that your mother-in-law will always be a thorn in your side and that you are FORCED to live with people you don't even like.
But it's simply not true. You don't HAVE to do anything you don't want to do. You do things because you CHOOSE to do them. You stay at that job because it helps pay the bills. And you live with your mother because you don't have the resources to live on your own. You could instead choose to live in a box under a bridge if you wanted to. Yes, a bit extreme, but you could in fact make that choice.
Or make a less extreme choice and decide to find public housing or live with roommates or stay with your job until you can finish school and then find something better.
I just want to point out that though decisions often seem to be made for you, you are the one who is in fact making those choices. Even a decision to do nothing is a choice (to allow things to remain the same).
And once you come to that realization for yourself, you can begin to accomodate those choices. As in, I CHOOSE to stay at this job though this is not what I want long-term. And I CHOOSE to live in my mother's basement until I can finish school and find my own place.
And once you regain the power and control over your life by CHOOSING how to respond despite negative circumstances, you discover a beautiful thing.
You and you alone are responsible for your lifestyle, your happiness and the decisions you make.
There is therefore no one to blame, no one with whom to become angry and no reason to be mad at the world.
You will realize that no, life is not what I want it to be, but it is the best you can make it RIGHT NOW.
And your life and your decisions are in your hands.
And that is a beautiful thing...
Stay encouraged my friends!
