Before there’s change, before there’s healing, before there’s transformation—there’s willingness.
Not certainty. Not a roadmap. Not a plan. Just the smallest shift that says: maybe there’s another way. That shift is the spark that lights the path forward.
The Power of Being Open
Willingness isn’t a commitment—it’s a crack in the door. A whisper of possibility. A softening where there once was resistance.
Change is hard. Growth can be uncomfortable. And yet, when we allow ourselves to be open—to just consider a new perspective—we invite in something powerful. We make space for clarity, connection, healing.
When I first stepped onto the path of recovery, I wasn’t ready to overhaul my life. I didn’t have all the answers. But I was willing. And that willingness brought people into my life I never expected. It helped me find tools I didn’t know I needed. And slowly, my world expanded. It got bigger, brighter, and full of light.
It wasn’t easy. In fact, it almost didn’t happen. I had reached a point so low, I could barely imagine a way forward. But in that moment, the tiniest willingness cracked through the darkness—and everything changed from there.
What Willingness Actually Looks Like
We often think willingness means taking big leaps. But really, it’s more like:
- Saying, “Maybe I don’t have all the answers.”
- Being open to new tools, even if they feel unfamiliar.
- Letting someone help you—really help you.
- Admitting something isn’t working the way you hoped.
Willingness makes life bigger. It breaks us out of the echo chambers in our heads and says, “What if there’s more?”
The Shift That Changes Everything
Willingness is not about setting an entire plan in motion. It’s about being open to the idea that something might be possible.
That maybe you don’t have to keep living under the weight of what’s not working. That maybe your life could feel lighter. That maybe there’s help—and healing—available to you.
When you’re willing, you become a magnet for the right people, places, and opportunities. You notice support instead of deflecting it. You welcome answers instead of defending limitations. You shift from surviving to slowly, gently, learning to thrive.
I Still Choose Willingness Every Day
Even now, years into this journey, willingness remains one of my most powerful tools. Every time I fall, every time I face something unfamiliar, I remind myself: I just have to be willing. Not perfect. Not fearless. Just willing.
Because willingness invites the Universe to show up. It creates space for grace. And that space? It’s often where the biggest breakthroughs begin.
So wherever you are today, ask yourself: Am I willing?
You don’t have to say yes to everything. You don’t have to commit to a massive shift. But if you can find even a flicker of willingness, that might just be enough to change everything.
SLAY Reflection
- What does willingness mean to you?
- Are there areas of your life where you’ve been closed off to change?
- What’s one thing you might be willing to consider today?
- How might your life shift if you simply stayed open?
- What scares you about being willing—and what excites you about it?
S-L-A-Y:
- Start small—openness begins with a thought
- Let go of the need to have all the answers
- Allow yourself to explore, not commit
- You are allowed to grow at your own pace
Call to Action: Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
What’s one area of your life you’re willing to shift?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.
And if you know someone who’s struggling to take the first step, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a nudge.
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The willingness to change was null until it was forced upon me. Life events of losing 2 grandparents, caring for my mother after a brain injury, losing my job, trying to complete graduate school, and spouse presenting me with divorce, losing a whole family with just a few papers. I dug in my heels and didn’t not want the change. I didn’t want the losses. I had a plan – this was not it. I grieved the grandparents. I grieved the mother that Moma was. I grieved the life with my spouse. I grieved the lose of my extended family. I was angry – very angry and fighting the change every step of the way.
That was not my plan & I didn’t want to lose my vision. My plan was not the higher plan for me. Result Utter & total misery – for myself & those around me that loved me.
Then I just totally lost the will. Result hopeless and angry. It wasn’t overnight but over time – I started my mantra “Be”.
I would remind myself of blessings – graduation, my Moma survived & with me, a roof over my head, a job & a new life I could create new plans.
To say the least it’s been bumpy, some false people in my life. But accepting & willing to change has allowed me to do new things. Allowed beautiful & amazing people in my life (like Carrie).
I still have the struggles, but I try to remember to be and to be willing to be open, be happy & be me. Slay on Slayer.
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Sometimes it takes us loosing a lot to see what we’ve gained. The love and power in yourself to “Be,” to grow, the learn, the change, to bend, to ride the wave of whatever life throws at you.
Like you, it took a lot of loss for me to surrender and find the willingness to try things differently, to be open to what was meant for me, and not cling on to what I thought it should be.
In the end we only know what we see and hear, we know very little in the big scheme of things, the big picture, the universe throws things in our path to get us to where we’re supposed to be, and sometimes it may seem cruel, but if it takes us getting to an emotional and spiritual bottom to build us back up to be the incredible, resilient, strong, loving, warriors we are and are meant to be, then it’s all worth it.
We can handle more than we think, the question is, why are we being tested, challenged, and removed from those things that make us feel safe? Probably because there is somewhere else we are supposed to be, somewhere where we can be our authentic selves, and where we can share our journey with others.
Thank you for this beautiful post Lisa, I am so glad through sharing and caring, our paths of crossed, and how we walk together down this path of SLAYDOM.
SLAY on!
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