The Magic Wand

I know for some of us when we imagine going to therapy, we feel it's going to be a “quick fix.” Maybe you're thinking, “I’ll come in, they’ll tell me what’s wrong, and then it'll get fixed.” We are all searching for a magic wand that makes all our problems instantly disappear. Maybe it's because we live in a world where everything is being created to be instant, painless, and takes little to no effort.

Sure, in some ways it'd be great if life worked like that, but there’s a quote by Napoleon Hill that really highlights the reality of change: “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle."

Therapy aims to help you discover ways of developing your strengths to help you to manage life’s struggles. Is it easy? No, it’s not, it does take time and effort, but the power you develop in therapy is forged for a lifetime.

But, this will not happen unless you put in that effort. I feel the real work of treatment comes at the end of that hour spent with your therapist where those mystical beasts you’ve been describing are staring you in the face. Where the frustration of communication in your marriage begins to breathe fire, where the anxiety you experienced at your job is clawing at your chest, or the depression of losing a loved one has a grip on your throat. Facing these giants that we would prefer to pretend don’t exist takes courage and bravery.

The thing about magic wands is that they steal away from you an opportunity to build a better you. It robs of an experience that could be shared with someone else fighting the same beast. What’s holding you back from putting in that effort? Don't give up as long as you have breath in your lungs. Don't give in to the cheaply bought success by a magic wand, but one built by your own two hands, in which your life’s foundation

will be much stronger.

RM