The System, which means any support network, or in some cases, the home grown support network you’ve devised, cannot be counted on forever to keep your little boat afloat.
Nor should you want it to
There are two reasons for this.
- Any system can break down at any moment, without warning
- And any system can become an addiction if you’re not careful, converting it from a help to a hindrance
That second status is what I wish to focus on the most.
At some point, if you want more out of life, you’re gonna have to wean yourself from The System
For the rest of you, curious as to how well or how long The System can sustain you, please read on.
If you’re in a position where you have no choice but to rely upon an agency, advocacy group, or governmental department to help you survive, there is no shame in that.
I’ve used many to get where I am today. Beat a few of ’em half to death to help me solve my woes.
The problem begins when we keep using The System after we no longer truly need it
To take a step back: Some of us have truly landed in some seriously deep piles of merde.
We’ve been wiped out physically, emotionally, spiritually, economically.
These events can weaken us so bad that we forget how to fight.
We forget what it felt like to stand on our own two feet. We assume we no longer can. We’ve become institutionalized.
And we don’t need to be inside some building for this to be so. All it needs to exist is some of the space between our ears.
If this is you, the only person who can get you out is yourself.
You become free by becoming aware
Everyone around you can tell you that you’re unnecessarily or overly dependent on your supports.
But it won’t add up to any healthy change in your life if you don’t believe it for yourself first.
So self check:
If something about the whole deal is bugging you as a person of character, you’re probably on the right track.
Then it’s nothing more than a simple shift in thinking to start using The System to extract yourself from it.
Some systems expect that and hope you’ll use them to become self sufficient.
Others will just keep giving, as long as you keep taking, all with the best of intentions. But they could be doing you a serious disservice.
Depending on the disaster that brought you their way, you really may need massive assistance for a long time. Possibly forever.
But if you feel you’d like to be more self sufficient, let your support people know.
Make sure you get your money’s worth before you go. Some people never realize all that their particular system has to offer.
Focus on honorably extracting all you can from your system before time runs out.
Take notes as you go, for future reference
Someone you know or care about, or someone depending on you might need this info one day.
- Be a resource and help their transition into the system be an easier event than it was for you
- Be an advocate or offer your consultancy services for a fee or barter
- Make your time in the trenches of value to someone else
- You’ll be honoring the intent of that original system
And you’d be using it for all it was worth, something most systems wish you’d do, by default. Your usage justifies their existence.
Systems are just tools.
How you use them defines what they mean to you and the effect they’ll have on your desire to move forward in life.
Just be aware, that’s all.
