Take Responsibility for Your Life 

Amy Sherman, LMHC

How much time do you spend complaining that things are not going well? Are you unhappy with your outcomes? Maybe it's time to take responsibility for what is working and what is not.  

Basically, if you realize that your thoughts, feelings and actions put you where you are today, then your thoughts, feelings and actions can put you somewhere else as well.  

Take an inventory of all the wonderful things that are happening in your life, whether it's your job, your marriage, your friends, your children, etc. Acknowledge that you have done a great job and were successful. Now examine what isn't working and see if you can decide how your behavior or thinking is creating that.  

Some things to consider are the following:  

1. Know what you do well and delegate everything else to others. In this way you don't waste time reinventing the wheel.  

2. Stop complaining and start taking specific actions to change things. Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul author, says to do 5 things every day that direct you toward your goal. Make sure you keep changing your approach and ask for support so you stay on track.  

3. Don't get stuck repeating the same behaviors over and over again and expecting different results. If you respond unconsciously to what happens around you, you will experience the "here we go again" scenario and fall into a pity-party state of mind.  

4. Let go of the doubt, resistance and insecurity surrounding what you what. Why can't you have a healthy relationship? Why can't you feel fulfilled and content? Why can't you be financially secure? The more you dwell on what you don't have, the more you get what you don't want.  

You are the one who holds you back, who sets down limitations and who even sets you free to become all you want to be. Let your negative circumstances be seen as new opportunities to transform and recreate your life. Let your frustrations be the catalyst to jumpstart your movement in a positive, more fulfilling life direction. Take 100% responsibility for your life and you will find you are living your much desired dreams. ********  

About the Author

Amy Sherman, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor in private practice. She is the author of Distress-Free-Aging: A Guide to Creating a Fulfilled and Purposeful Life. Visit www.bummedoutboomer.com and receive a Special Report on Overcoming Adversity when you sign up for her free eZine. To learn more about taking responsibility for your life, go to  http://tinyurl.com/699upn