A friend of mine likes to say, "it is what it is" and I never quite got what that meant. Many people say this expression. In fact, it was listed on an internet survey as one of the top ten expressions that irritate people- I'm not alone!
What exactly does it mean anyway? Does it mean that one is resigned to things the way they are? Now there are some things that are the way they are- like one's height- and even this changes as we age. But when I hear people saying this it seems to sound like a resignation of some kind. Do we really want to give up? Now I know my clients are not a random sample of people but I can say that everyone I have ever seen in my work as a therapist sat across from me because- in spite of really wanting to give up- they don't- by being in my office they are saying- it is NOT what it is- I want to make changes! We humans want to grow, change, heal and love. Even when there is seemingly no hope. We can change the way we see ourselves, we can change the way we see others, we can change our expectations and our dreams and hopes.... it does not have to be "what it is"..
