Once You Know What You Need, Be Open to Receiving It
How a Single Act of Courage Transformed My Life and Taught Me the Power of "Acting As If"
As someone who grew up with almost no self-esteem, I knew that something had to change, or I would never find true happiness in my life. It wasn't until I attended a weekend retreat for incoming college freshmen, which included both intellectual and psychological assessments, that I realized my life could be different. After two full days of group sessions and individual testing, we each met one-on-one with one of the psychologists.
The first thing I was told was that I needed psychological counseling. It felt as though the sky had opened up and the black cloud hanging over my head had disappeared, allowing the sun to shine down on me. For the first time, I felt hope that my life could be better. What followed were four months of twice-weekly counseling sessions that set the wheels in motion for me to become the strong, confident woman I am today.
Within a week of arriving on campus, I had the opportunity to put what I had learned in therapy to the test. That first weekend, a friend from my hometown took me to a coffeehouse to listen to live music. I enjoyed it so much that I returned during the week, hoping to hear more.
Much to my chagrin, there was no music that evening, and the coffeehouse was nearly empty except for one table where eight or ten people were sitting together, engaged in lively conversation. I immediately realized I had two choices. I could turn around and leave, risking the embarrassment of being seen as awkward by people who didn't even know me, or I could sit down with them and do what my therapist had suggested: "act as if."
Act as if I were a likable person.
I took a deep breath and joined them. Before long, I felt like one of the group. We laughed, joked, and shared stories. It turned out I was a likable person.
That was many decades ago, but it set me on a completely new course in life.
What I learned from that experience is this: once you know what you need, be open to receiving it.
As author Paulo Coelho wrote:
"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."
Change involves risk.
Take a chance on changing your life.
