Embracing The Empowerment Cycle:
Suffering often stems from a sense of powerlessness, a sentiment rooted in victim consciousness. This victim consciousness propagates the belief that life is happening to us rather than acknowledging our role in creating our realities. It thrives on blame and fear, shielding us from the uncomfortable truth that we’re the architects of our experiences. This victim mindset can be observed in our reactions to life’s challenges, such as the dreaded Mercury retrograde, an astrological period often blamed for mishaps and misunderstandings.
The Illusion of Victim Consciousness:
Many people see life through the lens of Murphy’s Law – “everything that can go wrong, will.” This I declare as the embodiment of victim consciousness and is the ultimate fear-based thought. Far too much of the world’s population buys into this kind of thinking, and they live their lives as victims and are constantly blaming their reality on others. If it is not their friends who are at fault, it is the bankers, or the money-grubbing oil companies, and the invisible wealthy who control our lives and pull the strings behind the scenes. These people believe that everyone is trying to steal their happiness and bliss. And then they let them!
I say it’s time to challenge these ingrained thought patterns. And although sometimes daunting, isn’t it more empowering to take ownership of our life, both the ups and the downs?
It has recently come to my awareness that I have some ingrained behaviors. I am constantly seeking to please people so they will like me. If they like me, then they will be less likely to hurt me. I am a pleasure junkie, and I fear pain. If I am criticized for speaking my truth, then I hurt. Therefore, at times I don’t speak my truth and calculate how to make people like me. That takes a lot of my energy that could be used elsewhere far more productively. The best statement I have ever heard is “what other people think about me is none of my business.” I say that a lot, but I don’t always believe it.
Recognizing Your Power:
It is crucial to identify the ways we inadvertently give our power away. Often, this happens when we strive for external approval, when we try to shape our behaviors, decisions, and even our personalities to win the affections of others. When we give our power away, we lose ourselves more and more. We do things that we don’t want to because we want others to like us. The irony is that people like us for who we are and often don’t like it when we try to be someone that we think they will like. The catch, however, is that authenticity, not pretense, is the magnet that attracts respect and appreciation. Acknowledging this reality can liberate us from the energy-consuming task of trying to manipulate others’ perceptions.
Authenticity: The Key to Devotion:
Being authentic is a form of devotion, a commitment to honoring your true self. Being authentic means loving others, and ourselves, as unconditionally as possible. Being authentic means accepting that we are always learning, growing, and doing the best we can. Being authentic does not have room for judging others. Being authentic means smiling more and frowning less, and doing both in response to how we truly feel. Being authentic means dropping our masks and facades. Being authentic provides the backdrop to stop our criticism of others and ourselves. When we tap into our authentic self, it means we are discovering who we are and courageously loving that person, not someone we wish we could be.
The Power of Letting Go:
As we learn to courageously love ourselves, we begin to step into our power. Stepping into our power doesn’t mean we assert dominance over others. Rather, it implies taking ownership of our actions, words, and ultimately, our lives. It means to evaluate our motivations, and ensure they stem from a place of positivity and growth, not one-upmanship. This process involves letting go of comparison, judgment, and criticism. To do this, we must surrender the belief that we are either superior or inferior to others.
Final Thoughts: An Opportunity for Growth
Personal growth and self-reflection are hallmarks of devotion and letting go. For me, Mercury in retrograde is one of the most powerful creative times in the year. It is the time when I can get rid of the old and truly let it go. When things break down, I can look at it and decide whether I really need to rebuild or if I can do without it. So instead of looking at Mercury in retrograde as a time of chaos, we should look at it as a time of opportunity to change our lives for the better. During this time, we can analyze our attitudes, decisions, and reactions to understand better how we have contributed to our current circumstances. This process can help us pinpoint areas of improvement, and ultimately, empower us to change our reality.
As we navigate through life’s challenges, remember the two keys to happiness – devotion to authenticity and letting go of victim consciousness. These keys hold the power to transform suffering into empowerment and growth, moving us from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat in the journey of our life.
I look forward to Mercury in retrograde. I know that things will not be boring as the old is destroyed and the new takes its place. I know that I will become more connected to my divinity as the stuff hits the fan. I know that I will laugh at myself more as I continue to learn more and more about the melodrama I create. Life is love, the rest is pure illusion.
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