Learn How to Take Control of Your Life and Save Yourself From Misery
Nobody is coming to save you
Photo by Liana Mikah on Unsplash
Once Upon A Time
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before.
A girl, normally a princess, lives a sheltered life where she doesn’t know the outside world. She longs for the day a prince will come and save her.
One day, he finally appears on his noble steed, prepared to fight the dragon that guards her dungeon. After slaying the beast, the two reconcile and weep. He sweeps her off her feet, and they live happily ever after.
Sounds like just about every Disney movie you’ve ever seen, right? It’s a tale as old as time. The princess is saved from her misfortune by the prince in shining armor.
Unfortunately, that’s not quite how it works in real life.
In real life, there is no prince to come and save you.
All your life, you’ve been conditioned to believe someone will come and save you from times of trouble. This lie is perpetuated by society. The kicker is it’s probably told to instill helplessness.
You live in the shadows, hoping for a savior. Someone to come and rescue you. But I’ve got some news for you, honey. Nobody is coming to save you.
No hero or heroine will come and sweep you off your feet. All you have is what you’ve got. You’re stuck here in the real world, where nobody but yourself has a duty to you.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Player One
If nobody is bound to save you, you’re left with one option: save yourself. It’s not as romantic. It doesn’t paint the picture book fairytale you’ve been led to believe. Instead of lands far unknown, you’re stuck in the same shoddy apartment.
Truth is, your life is your duty. You can sit on the sidelines, let it pass you by, or jump into the game and play.
As player one, it’s on you to beat the trolls, gremlins, and goblins. You’re not the princess in the tower, waiting to be saved. You’re Mario fighting Bowser. But instead of rescuing Princess Peach, you’re rescuing yourself.
Happiness and life satisfaction rely on you being an active participant. You have to learn how to be proactive instead of passive.
One of the rules of storytelling is your main character must be proactive because it’s boring to watch someone who lives passively, letting things happen to them.
Life is far more interesting when you go out and do things. When you go out and live your life, something funny happens. You stop feeling so bad.
You’ve not locked in a faraway tower with no way to escape. You have the key to unlocking the door. All you have to do is unlock it, and you’re free.
Instruction Manual
You may be wondering what the point is of saving yourself. Why should you bother?
Because saving yourself means you get to live a life worth living. Ultimately, saving yourself means becoming self-aware. And self-awareness leads to increased life satisfaction.
As you become self-aware, you understand yourself better.
With self-awareness comes the ability to enact change. You have the power to influence outcomes. Self-awareness allows you to step in and take control of the reins of your life. It puts you in control. What better thing is there than to be in control of your life?
You may be wondering, “This all sounds great. But how do I actually do it?” I’m glad you asked.
You’ve taken the first step — you’re aware and want to change. Now, you’re faced with a decision: do I resist or change?
Changing your ways isn’t going to be easy. But nothing worth having in life comes easy. If you want to save yourself, here are some steps.
Decide on your goals
Figure out the reason why you’re doing this. Superficial reasons will get you nowhere. Find something meaningful to you that drives you forward.Identify small habits to change
Make the changes small at first. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself and give up. If you’re not used to exercising, pushing yourself to do an hour workout will only exhaust you. Try 5 or 10 minutes.Exercise
Exercise is vital for your physical and mental health. It makes you stronger and releases endorphins which make you happy. The key is to pick an exercise you like and look forward to.Express yourself
Find ways to let out the negativity. Holding it in is holding you back. Try therapy. If you can’t afford therapy, tune into your creativity. Write, paint, dance, sing — do some activity to release what’s inside.Journal
Keep yourself accountable by writing it down somewhere. Have a journal where you can write down whatever’s bothering you or use it as a check-in.
Happily Ever After
Nobody is coming to save you from yourself. That’s something you have to do all on your own. But is it worth it? Absolutely.
When you save yourself, you take control back over your life. Life is much better when you’re an active participant rather than letting it happen to you.
Take back control of your life.
Ready to level yourself up and become the best version of yourself? Download my free journaling guide now.
Maggie Kelly is a freelance writer who writes about mental health, self-help, and psychology. Contact at maggiepkelly@gmail.com
