February Week 1: The Empowerment Dynamic

To create our one awesome, amazing, perfect life, faith is the first principle of action. In his book, TED, author David Emerald shares a delightful parable of a defeated man who is blessed to learn from Ted, his own personal, park bench sage.

Through his parable, the following formula is taught. Like the powerful sun to which this illustration alludes, this dynamic of personal choice brought light back into my life. Harnessing my power of faith to create change, I learned to choose each day the role I would play in my life. You can choose your role as well. Will you be a victim or a creator? a persecutor or a challenger? a rescuer or a coach?

Let’s talk about each of these roles and their effect in our lives.

This week it’s The Victim & The Creator

Who’s in charge here?

An argument with my partner, a stubbed toe, a stain on my favorite shirt before an important meeting; circumstances can provoke a dive from the role of Creator to Victim in a heartbeat. As a victim in my life, things are always happening to me. (Do you hear the whine in my voice?) The traffic made me late, my partner made me mad, my boss made me feel bad. As a victim, I am at the whim of every shift in the outside world.

When I am in my Creator role, my viewpoint is completely different. I was late because I chose to work out an inspiration I woke up with and left late for work. I was angry because I felt attacked in the discussion with my partner. I felt bad when I talked to my boss. In hindsight, I recognize my own insecurity. I headed down the road of self pity after He corrected me. In the role of Creator, you own your behavior. It’s all about your reference point.

Victim or Creator, where are you at this moment? Creators are in the driver’s seat. They feel they can choose control of their lives even when life circumstances may appear differently. Victims are driven much like a herd of cows. They feel they have no control over themselves, their lives or their future. Circumstances dictate their lives.

Remember, in every circumstance we really can choose. It’s our right and our gift as human beings. We are born choice makers & empowered thinkers. We are creators.

The real beauty is, that we can shift from the Victim to the Creator role with lightning speed as we observe our current role. The power of observation is immediate and profound. Watching your thoughts and their shifts will immediately move you back into the driver’s seat of your life.

Observation gives you the power to shift from the unhappy, tantrum throwing child to the competent adult in your head. Once you have noted and chosen to shift back to your creator role, your adult self can offer true comfort to the child within.

Allowing your “adult” self to comfort your “child” moves you back into the driver’s seat of life. Your “driver” self has many different titles. Some call it your inner, centered self, some your adult self. Others just call it ‘you’. However you phrase it, staying in the role of the observer is a tremendous, albeit lifelong practice, with tremendous benefits.

Meditation in any of its forms can facilitate this observant awareness. Maybe you practice with an app, a specific mantra or breathing pattern. Maybe you train in meditation practices or take a class. But just sitting uninterrupted and quiet on a daily basis, observing your breath, your thoughts and surroundings can make an astounding change in your life.

Awareness is a super power in the creation process. Take time each day for quiet. Practice meditation in some form daily, and that argument or stubbed toe will have significantly less power to move you from your creator role to the victim role day by day.