Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom.
This is a weekly series which aims to provide guidance, share experience, and invoke a desire for self discovery. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, wisdom is defined as the “The ability to discern inner qualities and relationships.” A synonym for wisdom is insight, which is defined as “The power or act of seeing into a situation.” In this day, age, and dimension, we can all benefit from more wisdom. Together, we can learn, and together, we can grow. Enjoy.
What is your problem?
Upon reading the sentence above, many things may come up for you… You may instantly get offended and defensive, hurling the question right back. You may start rattling off a list of problems. You may just go blank because you believe that you don’t have any problems. Regardless of your response to the question, something remains true:
It’s not THEM. It’s YOU.
And I mean what I said. Since birth, we have been taught to go outside of ourselves to solve our own problems. In some ways, that can be helpful, however in most ways, it can be very harmful. The truth is, we each hold immense power within, and we can almost always fix our own problems by taking action.
I volunteer as tribute an example… I recently resigned from my job as a Project Manager at a nonprofit. The last month of my employment was absolutely miserable. Why? Well, I had overstayed. I initially wanted to resign over a year ago, and technically, I did resign, but I came back… twice. Since 2018, I have held a strong calling to put on my creative lenses and keep them on, for good. Those are the only lenses I can see clearly with. Yet due to fear, I hung many heavy hats over my heart, holding back the urge to speak more, to perform more, to share more, to make, to blend, to uplift, and to create.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t my manager, my parents, or any past traumas that I could place blame on. It was me who woke up and clocked in each day. It was me who didn’t believe my abilities could sustain me. It was me who stayed stagnant because I chose to live in fear rather than courage. It wasn’t the job that was my problem. It was the fact that I chose to stay stagnant in a place that was not conducive to my creativity. As a creator, that meant masking with a smile when I was melting inside. That meant not living out my purpose or leading with my heart. That meant death.
I’ve come to accept that death is necessary. There is a process of transition which requires death. Just like the four seasons, there is a cycle which includes new life and… death.
Two synonyms for death are “dissolution” and “destruction.” Think about who you were 10 years ago. Though you may be in the same physical body, the old you – your old beliefs, your old mindset, perhaps your old friends, had to be shed like snakeskin for the current you to exist. You had to make tough decisions which all led you to this very moment. Some of those decisions, you didn’t think you could possibly ever make, but here you are! Look how powerful you are. YOU did that. Not anyone else. YOU! So I must ask again…
What is your problem?
And what can you do to fix it? You may not have all the answers, however if you take that first step, believe in yourself, and remain intentional about improving your life, the answers will come. So as you navigate through the next few days, weeks, years, and lives, remember:
It’s not THEM. It’s YOU.
It is YOU who has the power, ability, and obligation to change your own life. So do it.
I’m not a saint, nor am I a sage. My name is Akunna.
I am a student of life and this is your Wednesday Wisdom.
Sending love to you, wherever you are.