Complacency or "It'll Never Work Anyway"

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a group of people here in my hometown of Fargo about the opportunity for individuals to make a difference within a large corporation. I was quite surprised to hear from two of them that they really and truly believe there is no chance for an individual to affect a corporation in a positive way and the only way to fulfill individual dreams of making a difference in the universe is to leave the organization.

While I can certainly sympathize with people who feel victimized by their circumstances, I firmly believe there is always a way out of that victim mentality, and it doesn't always have to involve leaving the situation.

I've been listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer's audiobook "The Power of Intention" and find that to be extremely enlightening regarding my own power in the universe. In addition, in just glancing at my bookshelf, I see books like "You Make The Difference" by Stan Hustad, "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, and "Self Matters" by Dr. Phil. All are great places to start if you want external validation.

But even more importantly, I think, is the KNOWING that I have when I connect with something that feels right to me. It feels like coming home - connecting with things I really do KNOW to be true, regardless of what others tell me or what I think I SHOULD be or do.

Getting beyond the victim mentality is tough - I know, I've been there. But as tough as it is to be 100% responsible, I'd choose this a million times over feeling like my future is in someone else's hands. It really does come down to conversation as a starting point. If I continue to leave situations when they get tough without resolving my disparities, I'll be living that old adage "wherever you go, there you are." I realize, with surprising clarity, that that has been my pattern - to leave when things get tough instead of making a difference where I am.

So as I continue to figure things out for myself, I continue to build a career that will support those people who want to make a difference wherever they choose to be, whether that is within an organization or on their own. There is definite power in numbers. Let's work together to raise our awareness, and then build a network to support each other wherever we are.