If you look at your life, what are your thoughts about where you are right now?

Do you feel powerless to change your life?

I used to think that I had my destiny in my hands and that I knew exactly what I wanted in life. I was my own master, and I wasn’t a victim.

But then I caught myself saying things such as: “Well, it’s always been that way. It’s how things are. It can’t be changed.” I realized that I had given the power to many groups and have surrendered my power without a thought.

You can substitute the problem with words such as government, work, family members, but there’s a clear pattern. Often when up against a problem, we throw our hands up in the air and claim defeat.

I know that many times in the past that I fell into the victim role. I let other people treat me badly, I stressed out about the behavior of others, and I allowed myself to believe in my powerlessness.

I played the role of a victim and allowed myself to be caught up in feeling trapped and powerless.

But I’m not powerless, and neither are you.

The illusion of weakness is easy to accept and embrace. When we point the finger at someone else, we can make them the problem and shirk our responsibility.

Unfortunately, the problem can be made much more complicated when there are other lives at risk.

If a woman is in an abusive relationship and has a child, she might not have the financial freedom to leave her abuser and escape.

Feeling like a victim and acted like one, keeps us trapped. We keep repeating the same mistakes and reacting the same way to events. The problems we have become multiplied because there isn’t a way to see ourselves out of the problem. We feel trapped, act trapped, and perpetuate the cycle.

Step one is to open our eyes and be more mindful of where we are contributing to our powerlessness.

That may not be easy to do.

You might feel guilt or shame at how you have been acting. None of that is going to make it easier for you to overcome your problems. Berating yourself won’t help.

Acknowledgment and acceptance are key.

And the next step is often the hardest: Reach out for help. Talk to a therapist, call a crisis hotline, make a difference by building a support network that will help you become stronger and healthier.

Take the word victim and put it away. You’re a survivor. You will survive and thrive.

To get there will take time and effort, but a positive mindset, aligned with action that moves you forward toward healing, will help free you.

So ask yourself today: “Am I playing the role of a victim?”

Be honest with yourself and look at your response in all aspects of your life.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.