The Power of Action

Thoughts by Susana Sorí
Published Aug. 2006, HRA Journal, AZ
Copyright © 2006 by Susana Sorí 

I have always been driven to action: Action as play and entertainment; Action as learning; Action as commitment and duty. Yet, the greatest reason for action in my life is using action to break through the energy of fear and ‘imagined’ limitation.

Recently, a few days after completing a session for a client, she wrote:

"When I heard about the positive action I was to do after my session, I was lit! I was so excited and happy. Then, a week later, I was feeling sad and resistant to the idea that a positive action would solve my issues and make me happy. I got madder and madder at myself and finally refused to do it. I just don’t believe in it. I do not believe that there is a single act (positive action or not) that I can do that will change my fate or will make a positive difference in my life. I do not want to create an expectation inside myself just to be disappointed once more."

Like this client, there are times when many of us feel stuck and, for good reason, we do not feel like anything we do can move us forward. Here is what I responded:

"I understand that you were feeling good about doing your positive action and then, as the time approached, you felt sad and then angry at yourself. You wrote that you do not believe in doing “positive actions” and that coming from your sense of honesty, do not believe that creating a mind belief (positive or otherwise) will affect your future outcomes. That is a valid choice, and if this is what you believe, I honor it. I would however, like to say some things about ‘positive actions’ that have not been mentioned…the practical level - nothing mysterious."

Positive Actions have a very practical level
– nothing mysterious.

It is my experience that most of the time, we do not shift, change, grow or move past our limitations by just thinking about our issues, discussing them or sharing them with others, even counselors. This is often because in the process of going to these places, we make these issues so important that we have difficulty letting them go.  

It is difficult to move forward
if we are constantly looking back.  

What I find useful and have seen this demonstrated time and again, is the power of action, of effort, of doing work. When a person takes even a small step beyond their limiting belief, for example, they begin to destroy that limitation. It is by doing the action, taking the step, expressing the intention and taking one’s power by one’s own will that one achieves this.  

This is not magic. This is not trying to alter destiny by snapping one’s fingers. It is not about expectations. What it IS, is a bridge allowing oneself to take a step across of what holds one back, and the result is transformation, a new freedom, a new choice. It is accomplished through effort and intention coming together.  

This is what “positive action” is about. It is my experience, and that of my clients, that as we change, learn and transform, action does affect our destiny, even if it is only at the level of how we respond and therefore how we experience what happens to us.

When we choose change (by doing the positive action) we may be excited. Then, as we move towards it, our old patterns, limiting beliefs and fears can overwhelm and paralyze us…This is exactly the moment we must choose to own our step forward. This is the crisis point, the bridge which we must cross to step forward into change.…This is exactly the moment we must choose to own our step forward.

This IS the crisis point, the bridge, which we must cross if we are to step forward into change.  

Copyright © 2006, 2015 by Susana Sorí