THE POWER OF CHOICE
In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Victor Frankl wrote: “...everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of all human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” So we are never without power. While we cannot choose our conditions, we are entirely free to choose our response to those conditions.
When adversity visits your life, you have two choices: to be a victim or to be a victor. Either we choose to be responsible for the life we create or we shirk our responsibility by blaming others or events for our failures and unhappiness.
Those who choose to be victims allow life circumstances to get them down, and they spend their lives asking others to redress the grievances life has dealt them. Victims are needy and demand to be served.
On the other hand, those who choose to be victors don't find life to be a struggle. They find it to be exhilarating. They don't encounter problems; they merely face things they wish to change. When they find something blocking their way, they look for a way to get around it or to overcome it. In a word, they look for, and find, solutions.
Victims are experts at looking for excuses. They almost delight in finding others and events to blame. Instead of looking for solutions, they doggedly search for excuses. They blame anything or anyone else for their problems. They refuse to get involved in finding a solution because they are, after all, victims.
People who believe they are victims say that the only way for their lives to change for the better is when other people get better, or if the socio-economic and political environment improves. They give a plethora of excuses to explain why they are in their very situation. Just listen to them talk and you will know their thinking and mindset.
The truth is, for as long as we keep thinking that it is not our fault, that it’s someone’s or something else’s, we will continue to feel helpless and powerless. By continuing to play the victim, we will completely be at the mercy of our environment or situation. We rob ourselves of so much power (the power to initiate change) by playing the victim. Most of the time the outside world will not change...not until we change first!
Victors, on the other hand, rise above the challenges they encounter. They rebound from life's hardships with newfound strength, and they use their strength to overcome their situation and serve those around them.
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.” – George Bernard Shaw
Why do so many people choose to be the victim? The reason, I guess, is that we get lots of sympathy, don't we? We also want to feel assured that we were in the right by justifying our own actions. Though it seems beneficial, the cost of doing so is high. The fact is, for as long as people convince themselves to be the victims of circumstance, blame something or someone else, they will never be able to take charge, learn from their experiences, move on and change their lives for the better.
Becoming a victim to your circumstances or situation is a choice. It really is! You can rise up today and choose to be a victor. May the Lord empower you with divine wisdom and strength to help you rise above your current challenges. You are a Victor, and not a Victim. Every blessing...
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