Empowerment: You, Me and The All-Mighty Flea

I’ve had many pets over the years, most of which were cats and dogs (I did have a pet tarantula once but that’s for another post). Every one of these feline and canine balls of furry love shared a similar challenge: Fleas. (Please keep reading as this does have a valuable empowerment message.)

No matter how much powder, shampoo, oil or medication I gave them, their incessant scratching would soon return. Even flea collars had a minimal short-term effect. And one single flea could drive both the German shepherd and pit bull into an obsessive-compulsive frenzy.

The all-mighty flea has been one of the most tenacious and persistent creatures annoying humankind since the beginning of time. Its survival depends on it. Tenacious persistence is exactly why we can appreciate these miniscule pests. Imagine what you could do with that same drive, tenacity and persistence. You’d be unstoppable.

Often, new clients come in wanting to understand why efforts to make positive changes in their lives have failed. And that makes perfect sense as I, and many others, have felt that way too. Tears of sadness, snorts of frustration and sighs of powerlessness frequently accompany these early shares.

When they look toward new tactics going forward rather than the failures of the past, though, their powerlessness becomes empowerment.

My role is to help people reframe what they’re seeing and see what they’re missing. In other words, I’m there to help them not give up or lose faith in their innate abilities and inner resources.

I want them to become one with their inner flea energy, like their survival depends on it.

When we realize we’re the only ones who can prevent our own success, we step out of the victim role and into the survivor role. And when we realize we can survive, then we begin to thrive.

First you survive, then you thrive and then you realize you’re fully alive.

The flea never quits until it dies. If you’ve ever actually picked one off your pet, you know how hard they are to kill. You practically have to smash them with a hammer.

We can all learn a lot from the flea. So spend some time reminding yourself of the inner resources you DO have. And never quit. Never.

To see the next obstacle in life as only another challenge that will make you stronger and more tenacious is a gift well worth investing in.

That’s the gift of being fully alive.

Want to know more about dealing with life’s challenges? Learn more here.

And Marry YourSelf First! is a great place to start.