Reclaiming Agency

From Stuck to Creator of Your Experience

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." — Viktor Frankl

What You'll Learn

• Why complaining keeps you stuck in powerlessness

• The victim vs. creator mindset and how to recognize which one you're in

• How reclaiming agency transforms your relationship with work

• Practical ways to shift from passive to active in any situation

• Why contribution is more powerful than complaint

Listen to the conversations around you at work.

"They never ask for my input."

"Leadership doesn't care what we think."

"Nothing ever changes around here."

"This job is draining me."

These statements share something in common: they place all the power outside the speaker. They position the person as powerless—acted upon by forces beyond their control.

And here's the uncomfortable truth: every moment spent feeling powerless is a moment you're not using the power you actually have.

This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending problems don't exist. Real constraints exist. Broken systems exist. Bad leadership exists. But even within constraints, you have more agency than you think.

The question is: Will you use it?

Two Orientations: Stuck or Creating

Stuck and creator aren't moral judgments—they're orientations toward your experience.

Stuck Orientation asks:

• What's being done to me?

• Why is this happening to me?

• Who's responsible for fixing this for me?

• What's wrong with them/this place/this situation?

Creator Orientation asks:

• What's within my control here?

• What can I influence even if I can't control it?

• What contribution can I make?

• What's my next move?

Notice the difference? Stuck orientation focuses on what's wrong and who's to blame. Creator orientation focuses on what's possible and what you can do.

Both orientations are looking at the same reality. But one leaves you paralyzed while the other puts you in motion.

The Hidden Cost of Complaint

Complaining feels satisfying in the moment. It bonds you with others who share your frustration. It validates your experience. It releases pressure.

But here's what complaining doesn't do: it doesn't change anything.

Every complaint is an abdication of agency. It's a subtle declaration: "I am powerless here. Someone else must fix this."

And the more you rehearse that story, the more true it becomes. Not because the situation is actually unchangeable, but because you've convinced yourself you can't change it.

This is the trap: Complaining provides emotional relief without requiring action. It feels like you're doing something when you're actually doing nothing.

Meanwhile, the situation stays the same—or gets worse because you're investing energy in describing the problem instead of solving it.

What Agency Actually Looks Like

Reclaiming agency doesn't mean you can control everything. It means you recognize what you can influence and act on it.

Without Agency: "They never ask for my input in meetings. I guess my ideas don't matter."

With Agency: "I haven't been sharing my ideas in meetings. Next week, I'll prepare one thoughtful contribution and speak up."

Without Agency: "This job is draining me. I'm just going through the motions until something better comes along."

With Agency: "I've lost connection to why this work matters. I'm going to identify one project this month where I can make a meaningful impact."

Without Agency: "Leadership doesn't care about our feedback. There's no point in saying anything."

With Agency: "Leadership may not have systems to gather feedback effectively. I'm going to draft a clear, solution-focused suggestion and send it up the chain."

See the shift? You're not denying the problem. You're refusing to be paralyzed by it.

The Three Questions That Reclaim Power

When you catch yourself feeling powerless, ask these three questions:

1. What's one thing I can control in this situation?

You may not control the entire system, but you control your response. You control your attitude. You control what you do next. Start there.

2. What's one thing I can influence, even if I can't control it?

Influence is different from control. You can't control what others do, but you can influence it through your actions, your questions, your proposals, your relationships.

3. What's one contribution I can make right now?

Contribution breaks the paralysis. It shifts you from passive observer to active participant. Even a small contribution reclaims agency.

The act of asking these questions changes your brain. Instead of scanning for problems and blame, you start scanning for possibilities and action.

From Complaint to Contribution

Here's your challenge this week: Replace one complaint with one contribution.

This doesn't mean suppress your frustration or pretend everything is fine. It means channel that energy into something constructive.

If you're tempted to complain that meetings are unproductive: Contribute by suggesting one change to the agenda or volunteering to facilitate differently.

If you're tempted to complain that processes are broken: Contribute by mapping the current process and proposing one improvement.

If you're tempted to complain that leadership doesn't listen: Contribute by drafting a clear, solution-focused proposal and requesting a conversation.

If you're tempted to complain that your role feels meaningless: Contribute by reconnecting to purpose—identify one way your work serves something you care about (for more on this).

Notice what happens when you make this shift. You'll feel different. Not because the situation magically improved, but because you've reclaimed your power.

Why This Matters for Everyone

"But I'm not in a leadership position. What agency do I really have?"

More than you think.

You have agency over:

• How you show up each day

• The quality of your work

• Your relationships with colleagues

• Your willingness to learn and grow

• Your choice to contribute or complain

• Your decision to lead from your seat

Leadership isn't a title—it's a choice to take ownership of your experience and your impact.

Every person who reclaims agency makes the entire organization stronger. Every person who shifts from stuck to creator raises the bar.

You don't need permission to stop complaining and start contributing. You just need to decide.

This isn't theoretical. This is how careers transform. This is how individuals become leaders regardless of title.

And it starts with one decision: to reclaim your agency.

The Truth About Powerlessness

Most feelings of powerlessness aren't about actual lack of power—they're about unexercised power.

You have more influence than you're using. More choices than you're making. More agency than you're claiming.

The system may be imperfect. Your boss may be difficult. The organization may have real problems.

But you are not powerless.

You can choose how you respond. You can choose what you contribute. You can choose to be a creator instead of a staying stuck.

That choice, repeated daily, changes everything.

Try This Today

Notice one complaint you're tempted to make this week—either out loud or in your head. Instead of voicing the complaint, ask: "What's one contribution I could make here?" Then do it.

Track this practice for seven days and notice how it changes your experience of work.

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