Are you powerless in your life?

Recently I was reading an article called Power Surge by Martha Beck and it made me think about all the statements of powerlessness I hear from friends, co-workers, clients, and yes even from me at times. The article described 3 women who used statements such as:
1. "I'm terrified about my daughters drinking, but I've asked her to get help and she just yells at me."
2. "My boss can be really unethical but that's how the company works and if I complain my job is history"
3. "I know I should take better care of myself but someone has to be there for my husband and children."

We've all heard these types of statement in the past. Martha Beck called them declarations of powerlessness. What I found most disturbing in this article was that Martha Beck said, "the most common reason we stumble into the delusion of powerlessness is that we're afraid of what other people would do or say or feel if we were to act as we wanted."  In the 3 scenarios Martha Beck mentioned the woman in the 1st was afraid of her daughters anger, 2 was afraid of losing her job over enforcing her own ethical beliefs, 3. predicted the disintegration of her family if she focused more care of herself.

Often it is as if we are waiting for the permission of others or society to do what feels right for us. As we wait for that permission we walk through life feeling powerless and unhappy.

While I sympathize with these women's situations, (mainly because I have experienced 2 similar situations) it is difficult for me to accept their decisions to remain "powerless" because I have known others and experienced situations myself that are far more daunting but the difference is refusing to be dis empowered. Empowering ourselves to be the people we want to be and have the lives we want to have or stand for our beliefs helps connect us compassionately by deciding to act and refusing to give up when others disapprove, disagree or judge us. We cannot let fear of the unknown cause us to behave as if we are powerless. By refusing to give into our fears we are empowering ourselves to live as we see fit.

Live with no fear and great love!