Dec 13 2007
If it is to be, it is up to me
I first read this statement in the book, Pure Power by James Lee Valentine. I was hooked from then on. It has become my motto and I hope you will make it yours too.
These may just be 10 2-letter words, but as one, it stands as a claim to our power to create the life we are meant to live. Contain in this simple statement is the message that we have the ability to fulfill our dreams.
We have the habit of leaving the fulfillment of our dreams to chance. Maybe that is the reason why our lives are mediocre. We go by the rules of “que sera sera” (whatever will be, will be) rather than “if it is to be, it is up to me” We strip ourselves of the right to take part in building our ideal life.
I once participated in a community outreach program in a very depressed area. One of our agenda is to teach skills that the people can use to earn income. We went from house to house inviting each family to participate. At least one of the families I have been to, declined our invitation saying, “If we are meant to live in poverty, then we will always be poor no matter what” It is so sad to hear that there are people who will just accept that the lives they are meant to live is one of poverty, scarcity & oppression.
We have been endowed with great potentials and we have been equipped with the power to realize these potentials. That is why we have the ability to attract & choose the circumstances that will affect our lives. Sad to say, choosing is the power we often willingly give up.
Attracting
It has been called a lot of things – the law of attraction, manifesting, conscious creation. Much has been said about it – for & against it. One has just to examine one’s life to observe that it is inherent in our existence that whatever most occupies our minds & accepted as facts & truths will be reflected in our reality.
Choosing
By choosing, I do not mean that you can tell fate to just give you all good things. You will not grow that way. However, what you do with the lemon that fate throws at you is your decision.
By exercising your power to choose what you focus on, you can manipulate your ability to attract to your advantage. For the statement “if it is to be, it is up to me” can work both ways. If it is to be poverty for the rest of your life, it is up to you to focus & accept poverty. If it is to be abundance for the rest of your life, it is also up to you to focus & accept abundance.
Taking Charge
I grew up being compared to my older brother who is an achiever. I was unappreciated, made to feel worthless & was openly criticized by my mother almost all of my school age years. As an adult, I had low self-esteem and I easily lose my confidence when I am with achievers. As expected my mother & I didn’t grow very close. I kept blaming her for my lack of self confidence & poor self esteem.
I had a very painful experience some years ago and my mother was at the heart of the matter. I was at the lowest ebb, but I had the opportunity to reexamine my life and it was then that I realized that I am already in control of my life. I may be helpless as a child & just accepted whatever my mother said, but as an adult I already know that I am not as worthless as she said I am. I’ve also learned to forgive her for what she did, after all she was also just a product of her own growing up years which I think was far from ideal too. If I don’t let go of the past, I will just perpetuate the cycle and my own children will suffer like I did.
I know that there are many people out there who may have similar experiences. You can choose to take charge now or you can choose to continually live a miserable life. There are also people out there that have just lost hope of ever improving their lives, you can keep your sense of hopelessness or you can choose to be free of hopelessness. Just keep in mind, “if it is to be, it is up to me”
Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Joann Ang. Some rights reserved. You can publish or redistribute this article just make sure you include Joann Ang’s bio. Links must be correct, functional & must point to the author’s site.
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