I’ve been writing about four ways in which it can look like life is happening.
The second of these is “by me.”
That is, I see that I have the power to create.
I have the power of choice.
In the first way, when life happens “to me,” I am a victim of whatever circumstances are happening “out there.”
WIth “by me,” I am no longer a victim. There are always choices I can make, actions I can take, in response to my circumstances. Actions that can actually change those circumstances.
The most powerful shift that a person can make is the shift from “to me” to “by me.”
But even “by me” has limitations.
Because when most people see that they have the power to create, the question becomes how to use that power.
What to create?
And for most people, that means creating something outside of themselves.
A job, a partner, money, power.
And the person in “by me” tends to think that if they can change the outside enough, they can make the inside feel better.
They tend to think, “If only I get this [job, spouse, home, car], then I will be happy.”
How have you used the power of “by me” to get what you want?
And how long did it give you what you were actually looking for?