Some people say they want to be saved but they don’t want to change.  We can’t be saved without changing…something.  We’ve all seen the stories of heroes rushing in to save the day, beating all odds at the last minute.  We’ve heard the fairy tales of the princes rescuing the fair maidens and changing their lives.  They so often don’t talk about the AFTER.  How long did that last?  Because when we have a whole new life to work with, we have to make some changes to maintain it.  Some people say they want to change but they sit and wait for that prince to come rescue them—we have to be our own savior even if we need a little help sometimes.  Saving ourselves means making a change.  If something isn’t working in our current circumstances, then repeating them thinking things will change is pointless.  There comes a point when we are responsible for the outcome and that is based not only on what we choose, but on what we do.  This is why when we make resolutions or promises tied to something outside of ourselves, something arbitrary like how we look, that change won’t last.  First, we need to MAKE the effort, and then we need to tie our effort to how we feel.    

Look, change is work no matter how we look at it.  Sometimes it’s easier than others, but the bottom line is there has to be some effort to accommodate the new work we’re doing and the new life we’re trying to live whether it’s taking a class, starting a new job, a willingness to be vulnerable in learning, or being honest and taking a stand. Only that work will make the shift we are looking for.  And I love Fairy Tales as much as the next girl but there is no prince coming to save any of us.  We have to do the work.  And here’s the other thing some people need to learn to accept: we don’t necessarily need saving, we may ONLY need to change. Change, while scary, may be the only thing required to shift us from where we are to where we want to go.  One shift in habit may be the key to unlocking an entirely new world.  One choice in favor of what you want to do can turn everything around.  One moment of restraint in our words can demonstrate the power we never thought we had.  One breath of hope can be the fuel we need to keep going.  Not one of those things came from someone else—we are ultimately the heroes of our stories and we don’t have to wait to be saved.  We don’t need to be saved—we need to be savvy and to remember who we are.

This is a reminder of the power each one of us has in our lives.  Sitting around waiting for something to magically put us where we belong, hoping that our suffering is going to awaken some sort of urge in others, or constantly choosing to repeat the same detrimental patterns thinking someone else will change are surefire ways to let all that power go.  I want to reiterate that there are obviously times we will need help or we may need motivation from someone to get started—but no one will do the work for us.  There comes a point where we need to take responsibility and accept our choices—and accept the fact that we are here because of our choices.  That means we have the ability to choose again and we get to start over.  We get to remember how we feel and what we want and what we are capable of and we can make the shifts necessary to either get back on track or shift.  No one will do that for us.  There’s a saying I shared years ago about how if we don’t like where we are, move, because we aren’t trees.  I learned at that time that there ARE in fact some trees that move.  So the lesson is NOTHING stays the same forever (even if we don’t get to witness it) so if we need to make a change, don’t wait for someone to change for us or for someone to hand us what we want: go for it. We HAVE the power and gifts, we just need to DO something with them.