Shifting Beyond the Victim Mentality

Spoiler alert! This post is about accountability, responsibility, and giving up the dynamic and pattern of being a victim! 

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any. ... But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness." ~ Alice Walker

Feeling powerless, without choice, at the hand of something outside of ourselves is so common and ingrained in the collective thoughts, beliefs, and patterns of behaviors. It seems it takes superhuman strength to have insights into the myriad of ways this dynamic presents itself in our relationships and experiences.  Yet fortunately, as a collective, we are waking up. Waking up to our personal power and using choice and awareness to shift.

But playing the victim feels soooooo good!  You may disagree as you read this but it really does feel good to blame someone else or put the burden of some experience on another. There are trade-offs each of us gets in this dynamic.

But does it really serve us? As in, serve our truest selves? 

I think not. This belief system is a form of self-sabotage. It keeps us stuck. And, it is untrue. We have a choice. Choice in how we view our present experiences. We have a choice in setting personal boundaries with others. We are empowered to practice self-care in ways that honor all parts of our being.

Exploring how this dynamic impacts your life, just notice if you are feeling victimized or that you don't have a choice or power in a situation. Validate that is true for a part of yourself. Then, take the next step and see what is also true for you. I

Is there a part of you that needs to be heard, validated, expressed? Is there a long-standing pattern of behavior in this way of being? What trade-offs are you getting out of this way of being? There are gems of information and healing waiting for you to discover in this experience! Dig deep, have courage, and see what presents itself!