What does it really mean to own your life?
Don’t we all own our lives?
Well, to some degree, yes. But many of us hand over our power to others, rather than owning it ourselves.
Why would anyone do that?
Well, I’m sure we’ve all done it from time to time. Some more than others. Sometimes it’s just easier. The path of least resistance.
Plus, if we give away our power, the mistakes are someone else’s not ours…or are they?
I guess that’s one of the scariest things about truly taking ownership of one’s life. If we make mistakes, they’re ours. Even scarier if the mistakes are doozies. Life altering mistakes that may fill us with loss or regret.
But it’s worth the risk, because when you own the flaws, you own the joys and successes too. And those will be even sweeter when we realize that we lived our life on our own terms.
While it may be scary to make the choice to take ownership of our life, it’s really the only way to truly thrive and live a rich, authentic existence.
So have at it. Own your life!
What have you done today that scares you, if even only a little bit? Share your story in the comments below.
Over the past two years, I voluntarily stepped away from a consulting position I’d had for nearly 15 years. It was a non profit organization who benefitted from my range if services; led by a smart, capable leader who became a best friend. However, I knew that if I did not take hold of my professional future with a move away from what had become safe and comfortable, I would risk being anything but that in another 5, 10 years. So I slowly but surely took ownership of my life, and have not regretted it. By its nature, the work had become unrewarding and draining. As friends do, the client understood as best she could. Since, I have felt a sense of empowerment and freedom in claiming back some time, some sanity, and mainly creating more opportunities to be with my then high school children during the college search process. Priceless. Also, became more assertive, having stepped out of my comfort zone, and have had new clients find me. I’m careful to continue to make choices that help me have more ownership of my days, and appreciate support of husband in that transition (the whole family benefits from the less stressful and frustrating position I’d held for so long). So yes, own it or someone else will.
So glad you were able to make such a life-affirming choice, Christine!