You mean I have to do something to improve my life?

So today I was with my counselor, yes counselors see counselors, and she was encouraging me to do “stuff” to better my situation. In the moment I was annoyed and a bit frustrated because I didn’t want to have to change to better my situation. I just want her to say magical words and for me to feel better about my situation. I would tell her how I felt and then I wouldn’t be scared about my dad’s increasing health problems, or whatever the next problem on my list was. Being a counselor, having similar conversations with my clients, this shouldn’t have been a surprise to me, but it was. I needed to realize the parts of my life that I actually did have control over and then make a plan to change it.   

As people, we often fall into this rut. We become victim of our circumstances and forget that we actually can do something to better the situation. In my case I just needed to have a conversation and make a plan about how we would handle if my fear, that I had no control over, happened. That simple piece melted a lot of my worries. Sometimes it’s as simple as a conversation, other times it means making a life change. Maybe your drinking problem is tearing your family apart, or maybe how you spend money is leading you to financial ruin.

A bad situation is rarely the end of the road. How we respond to it determines how bad it actually is. There are many small ways we can improve our lives if we look for them. So this message is really to me. Get off the couch and do something about what is bothering you.