Jane ponders responsibility

Who is responsible for your happiness? Who is responsible for your success? Who is responsible for your state of mind? Who, who, who? Is there an owl in here? What's with all the who who-ing?

That's just Jane's way of getting your attention. The who is, of course, you. Yes, that would be the *you* sitting here reading and wondering who else might take on the job. Nope. Nobody will, because in spite of how convenient that would be it just isn't happening. It's all up to you, baby. All up to you.

This is one of those situations where we might look around hopefully in case someone steps forward...and they won't...before sighing and squaring our shoulders and gearing up to claim responsibility for our own amazing selves. It does not matter if you have ten children or two children or none. It does not matter if you have a wonderful spouse and partner who stands by you throughout it all or if you have been tossed aside for greener pastures. It does not matter if you are at the top of your career field, still climbing or a very fulfilled at-home parent. Or if you have thirty close friends or three. When you get past all of that stuff the fact remains that responsibility rests with you.

Now, Jane realizes that we are all human. Oh, yeah, she's human, too. She gets disgruntled, too. She even thinks sometimes that Dick ran off with her happiness, darn him. He messed up her state of mind. Because, you know, it's far easier to blame someone else, to put the responsibility on someone else and then to sit back and wait for happiness and success and a positive state of mind to return. Going to be a long wait, with that attitude. Do you want to put your life on hold, to put yourself on hold, while you wait? Jane does not.

So on go the big girl panties once again while Jane contemplates this whole thing and realizes that it all comes down to a choice (her choice) to get on with the getting on and claim the amazing life that is hers. Not that will be hers, mind you. Remember the affirmations? There's no "will be" about it. This life IS hers, for the taking, as soon as she steps up and assumes responsibility for her own state of mind.

You know that passive aggressive stuff? It's no good. Guilt trip? Nope. The woe is me routine? Forget about it. Woe is me is out. Go, me is in.

Marianne Williamson, in her book A Woman's Worth, mentions some things that help us find the spiritual renewal necessary to nurturing our personal power and healthy energy. Jane read the list with interest.

Meditate
Pray
Engage in some kind of daily spiritual practice
Forgive
Treat your body well with yoga or exercise.

That list looks familiar. Bits and pieces of it have been on this blog in prior posts and can be found all over in books dealing with things like your state of mind and your power and your energy. Coincidence? Jane thinks not.

The peace and security we all want, the strength and the happiness and the success and the power all come from within. They start inside and work their way outside. You can have the life you want and the joy you want. You can have the love you want and the hope and strength and laughter and peace. You can claim whatever it is that you want.

If, that is, you first claim responsibility.