“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” -Alice Walker
When a lot of people are told that they have the power to make the changes that they’d like to see in their lives, they balk at the very thought. Some answer to this with severe skepticism and denial, others with belligerence and even accusations of victim-blaming. Please keep in mind that when I say this, I am never trying to shift or share blame for what others have done to you without your consent. I would never try to blame anyone for any trauma that has befallen them. When I say, “You have the power,” I am simply stating that you can control your thoughts, which leads to control over your habits, which will ultimately lead to changes in your life.
Many people think that because they aren’t the smartest, wealthiest, or most connected, that the circumstances of their life are totally out of control. They feel that, because they cannot change the big things, there’s absolutely no reason to bother changing the same ones, either. But change comes from doing what you can, when you can, as consistently as possible, no matter how big or small. Change can begin to take root from acts as simple as telling yourself that you’re worthy, from drinking water instead of coffee first thing in the morning, or even from going to bed an hour earlier than usual. Small changes can and do have an incremental effect on our lives, for the better or for the worst. Just because you’re not yet ready to climb mountains doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t bother to hike up the hills.
