You are in Charge

I’ve been in professional service for most of my adult life, helping people with their emotional and psychological inner work. This kind of service puts one directly in the line of fire. Many people have the expectation that the service provider is there to guarantee results. Of course, these expectations are entirely unrealistic. Therapists are facilitators. The client must do their own work. The way I prefer to say this is: the client does their work and I do mine — and that collaboration creates magic. The collaboration is the magic.

Over the years, a few people have felt that I failed them. And though that number is small, at times, it was enough to almost take me down. I felt hurt by these people because they wanted me to do all the work. Occasionally, I took it personally and felt that they didn’t like me. But these people didn’t hurt my feelings. Rather, in response to their words and actions, in the words of Diana Chapman, “I hurt my own feelings.” It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it resonates, doesn’t it?

Whatever change you seek to make in your life is up to you. Short of death, no one can ultimately derail you from your true path unless you let them. Events and people have no real power over you unless you choose to let them.

This is, perhaps, my favorite thing to work on with clients — helping them to see and know this truth with crystal clarity. Once you understand (with virtually no doubt) that you are in charge of the change you want to make, the question is no longer, “Will I get there?” The question becomes “How can I collaborate with the Universe to get me there?”

It’s up to you.