This is a story about my roommate, Crystal.
This is a story about my roommate, Crystal. She gave me permission to share it with you today. I hope it inspires you the way it has for me.
Crystal had been struggling. Each morning she woke at 5am to drive 45 minutes to her job teaching second grade. After work, she would get on TikTok live to give people Tarot readings to make extra money. (As a Tarot reader, Crystal helps people find clarity in the areas they are struggling in.)
Between working 10 hours a day, taking care of her dog Leeza, and trying to keep her second job alive, Crystal was drained. No matter how hard she worked, it wasn’t enough to make ends meet. Because of this, she often felt angry and depressed. She craved solitude and wondered if life was always going to be like this.
As her friend and roommate, I could see how hard she was working and yet, even so, it wasn’t enough.
I worried about her. Would we be able to continue as roommates? We needed to find a solution.
I finally told her one day, “You work so hard, but it doesn’t make sense. You can make double the money doing Tarot readings for two hours compared to what you make for an entire day at your teaching job. You don’t have to struggle,” I said. “There’s a better way.”
“All I’ve ever known is struggle,” she told me. “All I’ve known is persevering through the hard times. I don’t know what it’s like to have things come easily.”
We went back and forth like this for a while. Looping in and out of solutions, we finally came to the conclusion that she should quit her teaching job: she felt it was literally killing her, sucking the life force out of her. It didn’t make sense to continue living that way. She knew it and I knew it.
Yet, she was scared. Quitting her job meant letting go of the false sense of security she felt it provided. It was staggering to imagine there could be another way; that she didn’t have to struggle through her work anymore.
She was scared to resign, but once she did, something amazing happened.
I watched Crystal’s demeanor change drastically in a few short days. She was smiling, standing tall, and more proud than ever before. We were laughing in the kitchen again. She had more time to do the things that were truly important to her like exercise, spending time with her dog Leeza, and resting without the incessant pressure nagging her. I watched the way she worked with her clients, speaking from a place of divine wisdom, strength, and certainty. It was like staring into the eyes of a completely new person. She was revived.
Crystal took her power back by making the decision to leave a job that was no longer working for her.
Her story makes me think about all of the times I’ve given my power away and how it’s affected my ability to show up in the world. All the times I said yes, when I wanted to say no. When I stayed too late at a party when I was ready to go home. When I stood silent in front of a group of people I was trying to impress.
One day, you realize enough is enough. And you want it back. Your power.
We take our power back every time we tell someone exactly what we want. When we have the courage to leave relationships or environments that no longer support us. When we choose rituals that are good for our mental health. When we are unafraid to be who we are in the presence of someone we admire.
If you want your power back, start by asking this question:
“Can I change what’s causing my anger? Or is it out of my control?”
If it’s out of your control, practice acceptance. Acceptance is non-resistance to what is. Accept the present moment as though you’ve chosen it. Don’t work against it, make peace with it. Be friends with it.
If it’s in your control, consider whether that relationship, project, or job is right for you. And take your power back by making a change, no matter how big the risk.
Either way, the power is in the choice. And we always have one to make.
You don’t have to struggle through your work or relationships. It’s possible to live in alignment. I know, because I’ve lived it. And now, so has Crystal. Once you know what that tastes like, you won’t settle for anything less.
