It may not be your fault, but it is your life.
There are a lot of variations of that platitude, I’m not sure who to attribute it to. I think I picked it up in high school, probably reading fanfiction, but as overused as it may be I repeat this to myself whenever shit hits the fan.
It’s the opposite of playing the victim because yes you are probably going to be victimized at some point and yes you are going to end up in bad situations that are not at all your fault and at the end of the day it’s still your life and you have to take responsibility for your life. No one else will or should.
Can I tie some Spider-Man into this? With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility can play out on the levels of heroism or privelage but I also think it’s talking about the power we have over ourselves. Understanding ourself, having compassion for ourself, and ultimately taking responsiblity for what we do and how we react when something is done to us is powerful.
I’m not sure why I was thinking about this today. I’ve been feeling a little more anxious that usual lately, dwelling over some old scars. A lot of those scars were my fault. Some weren’t. Some I’m not sure at all. But I was doing the best I could. I still am.
That’s when I remind myself. It’s my life. I’m going to do something about it. I’m going to something with it.
Some of the bad the future holds won’t be my fault. It may not be anyone’s fault. And this will still be my life to make meaningful and good and there is something beautiful and comforting in that.
With Love,
Natalie