I Am Always Improving Myself
--The Temptation of Powerlessness--
If you want to change something in your life, start from the assumption that you aren't powerless. Although most people don't realize it, it's actually incredibly tempting to see yourself as powerless against the hard problems in your life. It might be the most common temptation that people give into.
You see it all the time - people who complain about their lives constantly, but then whenever you show them a technique they might use to change things, they come up with a reason why they can't do it. They argue endlessly in order to hang onto the idea that they have no way to change any of the problems in their lives. Powerlessness is easy - it means you don't have to do anything except complain and cope. It means you don't have to feel guilty for not doing anything. It's the most human thing in the world - but it also destroys our freedom.
The truth is that we always have at least a little bit of power over our problems. And over a long enough period of time, even a little bit of power can change everything. Never accept the words "I can't," not even from your own mouth.
If you want to change something in your life, start from the assumption that you aren't powerless. Although most people don't realize it, it's actually incredibly tempting to see yourself as powerless against the hard problems in your life. It might be the most common temptation that people give into.
You see it all the time - people who complain about their lives constantly, but then whenever you show them a technique they might use to change things, they come up with a reason why they can't do it. They argue endlessly in order to hang onto the idea that they have no way to change any of the problems in their lives. Powerlessness is easy - it means you don't have to do anything except complain and cope. It means you don't have to feel guilty for not doing anything. It's the most human thing in the world - but it also destroys our freedom.
The truth is that we always have at least a little bit of power over our problems. And over a long enough period of time, even a little bit of power can change everything. Never accept the words "I can't," not even from your own mouth.
36-40, M
