Heroic Acceptance vs. Resigned Victimhood

Years ago, when circumstances forced me to let go of an era of my life that I wasn’t ready to let go of yet, I had a very symbolic dream.

In that dream, I was standing on a bridge that was beginning to crumble, and I could not outrun it. Whether I liked it or not, my connection to that ‘other place’ was now gone. Whether I liked it or not, I was going to end up in the waters below. But rather than falling helplessly into the ocean along with the debris, I chose, instead, to dive into it.

It was such a subtle difference—to dive vs. to fall—that one might even dismiss it as inconsequential. The outcome was still the same, was it not? Into the water I went, bridge now gone.

But the difference was in the energy.

To fall was to be a victim of circumstances beyond one’s control; to dive was to exercise choice, even in the face of unfortunate circumstances. To fall was to be passive and disempowered; to dive was to be proactive and empowered. To fall was to display helpless resignation; to dive was to exhibit heroic acceptance. To fall was to be like a random side character killed off in a screenplay to further the plot; to dive was to uphold Main Character Energy even until the bitter end.

Same circumstance. Same outcome. Different energy. Different story.

Sometimes unfortunate circumstances happen to us that we never consented to, never asked for, but are forced to deal with all the same.

Although we never chose this for ourselves, we can choose how we respond to it—even if it is simply choosing ‘heroic acceptance’ over ‘resigned victimhood’. There might be nothing we can do anymore to change the outcome of what happened, but we can choose the kind of story our lives ultimately tell. Is it one of tragedy or inspiration—or even both? Are we the victim or the hero in our lives—or even both?

When all other choices are taken away from us, this is the one that cannot be: the choice of how we respond. We choose the type of energy we bring into every circumstance we face. Even if we did not choose to have certain burdens, we can choose to bear them as nobly as we can.

Here’s to choosing Main Character Energy, always. ✨

– Celine (@itscelinediaz)