What Keeps You From Changing Your Life? (Read Time: 3 min.)

What's keeping you from changing your life?

Sometimes we think that change is what we need to feel better about our lives.  But what if complaining and whining about our lives is exactly what feeds if?  What if, at the end of

the day, when the rubber hits the road, what we want most is the ability to throw a pity party and have many people attend?

Being disempowered has its advantages.  When you're disempowered, you don't have to work hard.  You don't have to live your life to the max.  You don't have to take risks and you don't have to pay the price for living your dream life.  You get to play the victim, the martyr, and the indentured servant.  You get to tell the story that starts with "Whoa is me."  When people offer you advice, you get to interject, "Yeah, but..."

However, there are many things you don't get to do when you deny the power of your own choices. 

Living the disempowered life makes sense for those who are too afraid to take chances, too focused on being "right" rather than being happy.  Disempowered works for those who feel that people wouldn't stick around if they got empowered.  We all see vulnerability as the key to relationship success (whether we admit it or not) but vulnerability does not have to translate to weakness.

"You get to have whatever you choose to think."

- Louise L. Hay

Louise wasn't lying when she said that.  You can be empowered but it comes at a price. 

When you choose to stand in your power, you'll have to:
1. Refuse to buy into your own excuses.
2. Do things you don't "feel" like doing.
3. Consciously choose your thoughts.
4. Let the past go minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day.
5. Believe the best in ALL situations, even when things go to hell in a handbasket.
6. Own when you're sabotaging yourself and make a different choice
7. Keep your dreams visually in front of you and make time to visualize, actualize and prayerize.
8. Be patient with the process even when it takes years.
9. Celebrate successes so you keep your momentum going.
10. Work through challenges with compassion and grace, rather than a pout, a yell and a closed fist.

These are just 10 prices you'll have to pay to live the empowered life.  Are you tired just reading them?  Try living them...

At the end of the day, know one thing: the empowered life was meant for you.  You can skirt the issue, pretend that you're okay playing it safe, live life at 70% but something in your soul is bound to wake you up.  You cannot hide from your own potential.