Books to Blogs #27
Book: One Question A Day for Positivity
Date: 9-21-26
Prompt: “Who’s always on your side?”
When I first read this question, several people immediately came to mind.
My husband, Rob.
My family.
My friends.
And even a few of my clients.
There are people in my life I know I can count on. People who have been there through different seasons, different decisions, different versions of me, and all the things that come with simply living a life.
Rob, of course, is at the top of that list.
We’ve been together for more than 25 years. He has seen a lot of versions of me. He’s watched me change directions, question things, come up with new ideas, abandon some of them, pursue others, and probably listened to more of my thinking out loud than anyone should ever have to.
Being on my side doesn’t mean he always agrees with me.
Actually, sometimes being on my side means telling me something I don’t necessarily want to hear.
The same can be true for family and friends.
Someone doesn’t have to agree with everything I say or every decision I make to be on my side. Sometimes the people who are most on our side are the ones willing to ask a question, challenge our thinking, offer another perspective, or tell us when they think we’re wrong.
They aren’t against us.
They’re invested in us.
Then I thought about a few of my clients.
There are clients who have been coming to me for years. They’ve watched me grow and evolve right alongside the work I do. My sessions today aren’t necessarily the same as they were when some of them first walked through my door.
I’ve changed.
They’ve changed.
Life has changed.
And yet, they continue to come back.
There’s something incredibly meaningful about that kind of trust. They aren’t family. They aren’t friends. Our relationship began because they came to me for help with something happening in their lives.
Yet over the years, some of them have also become people who have encouraged me, supported what I’m building, celebrated things happening in my life and career, and continued to trust me as I’ve evolved.
In their own way, they’ve been on my side too.
But the longer I sat with the question, the more I realized there was another answer.
Me.
Ultimately, I will always be on my side.
That doesn’t mean I think I’m always right.
Oh, I’m definitely not.
It doesn’t mean I don’t need other people. It doesn’t mean I don’t value their opinions, advice, support, love, honesty, or perspective.
I do.
Being on my own side doesn’t require me to be against anyone else’s.
I can be on my side and listen to Rob.
I can be on my side and accept criticism.
I can be on my side and discover that I was wrong.
I can be on my side and change my mind.
I can be on my side and choose an entirely different direction than the one I thought I was going.
Maybe that’s actually part of what being on my own side means.
I’ve spent much of my life questioning.
Is this it?
Is there more?
Are there other possibilities?
What happens if none of the choices in front of me feel right?
Sometimes I fit into the box that’s already there. Sometimes I don’t. And sometimes I decide I need to create another box altogether.
I’ve realized I’m an explorer.
I question, research, learn, change, evolve, and then sometimes question all over again.
And through every one of those versions, there has been one constant.
Me.
I’ve been there for every mistake.
Every accomplishment.
Every loss.
Every reinvention.
Every questionable decision.
Every moment I thought I knew exactly where I was going and every moment I had absolutely no idea.
That doesn’t mean I’ve always treated myself like someone who was on my side.
I’ve doubted myself.
Second-guessed myself.
Criticized myself.
Looked outside myself for validation.
Waited for permission I didn’t actually need.
But I’m still here.
Still questioning.
Still exploring.
Still learning.
Still evolving.
And I am still choosing me.
So, who’s always on my side?
I am fortunate to have a husband, family, friends, and even clients who have shown me in different ways that they are on my side.
But ultimately, I will always be on my side.
Maybe that’s something we don’t think about often enough.
Being on your own side doesn’t mean believing you’re always right.
It doesn’t mean never questioning yourself.
And it certainly doesn’t mean doing life alone.
Maybe it simply means knowing that no matter how many times life changes, how many times you change, or how many different versions of yourself you become, you don’t stop showing up for the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Reflection Questions
- Who immediately came to mind when you read, “Who’s always on your side?”
- What does being “on your side” actually mean to you?
- Can someone disagree with you and still be on your side?
- Who has continued to show up for you as you’ve changed and evolved?
And perhaps the bigger question:
Are you on your own side?
Theresa
Hello from Theresa
Flexible Being
Empowering Your Journey to Healing, Clarity, and Self-Discovery.
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When you’re ready, reach out—I’d love to continue the conversation.
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Theresa Martinez-Shapiro
Theresa Martinez-Shapiro is the founder of Flexible Being, a Reiki Master, Certified Oracle Guide, intuitive mentor, and writer based in Stockton, California. Through Musings of a Flexible Being, she explores healing, mindfulness, relationships, intuition, and personal growth with a grounded yet spiritual approach.
