The first step in reinventing yourself
Here is your daily dose of Wisdom for Living Your Best Self!
The first step in reinventing yourself and becoming the person you want to be, according to Steve Chandler, is to take ownership of our agency –and accept that we can choose to act differently.
Here is how he puts it:
"As you look back on your life so far, you will see that you always had two basic ways of being. At any given time, you were either one way, or you were the other; you were either an owner of the human spirit, or you were a victim of circumstances.
One way, the ownership way, reinvents you as you go. It reinvents you outward, in an ever- expanding circle of compassion, vision, and courage. The other way (the victim way) shrinks you down. Just as your muscles shrink when they are not moving, so do your heart and soul when you are in victim mode. ... "
OUCH – that image hit hard. As we age, we know how easy it is for our muscles to atrophy and shrink when we don’t use them. Can you imagine our heart and soul atrophying the same way? NOT COOL.
The good news, he says, is that although this victimization can often last a lifetime, it is only a habit. And when it’s understood, it can quickly be replaced.
That is so hopeful, right? That we change victim-thinking and shift into ownership mode.