Reclaiming Power, One Choice At A Time

I’m a therapist and coach. In all the work I do with clients, my deepest desire is to support them in re-discovering their power.

In my work, so often I see and hear people identify as victims – abused, cheated, manipulated, taken advantage of. I’ve felt that in my life, worked through it, and want more than anything to see those I work with overcome it too.

Many of us are victimized early in life, either deliberately or unwittingly. Because of this painful experience, we develop ways to protect ourselves from being victimized again. And yet, it does happen again, and again, in spite of all we do to prevent it.

What I learned through mentors and experience was the way to step out of being victimized was to shift how I approached life. I began to see how I’d give myself excuses when I let myself down, or focused on what someone else did that was “wrong”. I began to appreciate all those times when I would not own up to how I contributed to a painful situation – like not giving myself enough time, or overloading the day, or exhausting myself before an important event. Those are a few of the things I would habitually do that would make me vulnerable to feeling powerless.

In a way, by doing those things, I could tell myself that I tried my best and it just wasn’t good enough. That’s when I would truly experience feeling powerless.

I still sometimes mess things up. The difference now is that when I mess things up, I take a look at how I did it, then take steps to change what I did. It still hurts, but that sense of powerlessness has dissolved.

Quote of the Week

You’re a divine being. Creator of your own reality experience. Don’t give away your power.
― Anton Maarten

The secret of becoming mentally strong

Announcements

Maryanne Nicholls is a Registered Psychotherapist.  To find out more, gain access to her weekly newsletter, meditations and programs, sign up at www.thejoyofliving.co . 

If you’re interested in the topic of avoiding burnout for people who do too much, you may be interested in checking out my youtube channel.