At a doctor’s appointment for my son, I was struck by a comment his terrific pediatrician made to me during our visit a few years ago. When I mentioned that my son “wouldn’t” eat some sort of vegetable I was trying to push on him at the time, the doctor gently said, “Remember, you’re in charge.” That comment stopped me in my tracks: Oh yeah…I was the mom…and my then six-month old son didn’t know a vegetable from a violin. No, I couldn’t force the kid to eat, but the doctor’s words reminded me that a baby doesn’t know what he wants, at least not at that age, and that I was the boss.

Now, the baby is six years old, has a younger brother, and I frequently remind myself that I’m in charge – particularly helpful when my two sons decide they aren’t in the mood to eat anything besides hot dogs, wear anything besides shorts (even in snowy winter) or do whatever else their mean mommy is making them do. “Too bad. You’re not in charge, I am,” I remind them, gleefully, and ignore their protests. Sure, I’ve been warned that I’m going to be in for some pain when my kids hit their teenage years and see through my little ‘in charge’ charade. But, until then, I’m living it up and relishing in my authority.

Live it up and enjoy your authority, too. After all, you’re in charge – this is true even if you’re out of work and feel like your entire career is in the hands of some HR person who won’t even reply to your (very polite) emails. Yes, you’re in charge, even if your industry is changing and the economy is in a recession and nobody is giving you a break. For example:

• You’re in charge of how often, and how effectively, you network and build professional relationships.
• You’re in charge of how consistently you follow up with your network and stay on the radar screen.
• You’re in charge of whether or not you take a part-time job to earn a little extra cash and take some of the pressure off while you’re in a job search.
• You’re in charge of whether or not you decide to start a blog, attend a conference, get involved and volunteer, or take a class to learn a new skill.
• You’re in charge of whether or not you’re going to get on the same page with your boss and stop secretly thinking that you’re smarter than he or she is.
• You’re in charge of the level of enthusiasm, the commitment to contribute, and overall integrity you demonstrate to your employer.
• You’re in charge of how often you complain about your boss, your career, the economy, and your life.
• You’re in charge of how you look, your bank account, what you weigh, and how you feel about yourself and your life on a day-to-day basis.

Yes, there is plenty you can control, even when it seems like so much is out of your hands, and that’s the good news and the bad news. Because once you accept the fact that you’re the boss of your life, you know that there is nowhere to hide and nobody to blame. After all, the chocolate didn’t walk off the grocery store shelf and fly into your mouth. You did that – or was that just me?

Thankfully, we aren’t in charge of everything – that’s why God created God – so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. But there is plenty we can do to grab the reins, take charge, and get our lives back, even if it’s getting your kids to eat something green once in a while.