Victim or Survivor

Are you a victim or survivor? Some weeks ago, as I was listening to the radio, I heard a doctor talking about people “being prayed upon” perhaps related to surgery or a medical procedure. Interesting choice of words, I thought, change one letter and you have “preyed upon.” PREYED upon or PRAYED upon. The words sound the same but suggest extreme positions regarding how you live your life. For example, those who feel preyed upon often consider themselves victims and experience feelings of anxiety, depression, dread, despair and an overall sense of powerlessness. If you remember the Peanuts cartoon character, Charlie Brown, you understand the “victim” mentality. Charlie always felt like there was a black cloud over him. “Prayed Upon,” on the other hand, conjures images of some force outside of you that is with you, watching over you and helping you with the outcome of a situation. People who feel prayed upon generally feel more hopeful about their life and are more optimistic which is considered a survivor mentality. Which one are you? If something bad happens do you feel like a helpless victim or a survivor who can’t wait for the opportunity to rise above it? Most if not all people who struggle with depression feel like victims BUT OFTEN THE MINUTE THEY START THINKING AS A SURVIVOR, THEIR MOOD SHIFTS AND THEIR LIFE LIFTS. I learned in Hypnotherapy (Hypnosis) Training that whatever you focus on increases. Think about what YOU choose to focus on—how frustrated you feel that you don’t have enough OR how incredibly grateful you feel for all that you have. When you believe in a higher consciousness and allow that force to pray upon you, you might just feel a lot less preyed upon. If you found this helpful , feel free to e.mail me at: nanlcsw@gmail.com or call me at 847.491.1111. I will help you become a survivor. Feel free to offer my article to others. I do this as a free service to promote relational healing.