There's what you can control, and there's what you cannot. Paradoxically, being aware of this leads to more control as mastering yourself eventually broadens the number of things you can influence. In appreciating our limitations, we are enhanced.
You’re absolutely right. Everything that can be controlled is within us, and once we learn how, the reach of our influence naturally expands. Thanks Patrick!
SUCH an important portal of wisdom we are too often not taught. When we accept what we cannot control, we stop wasting time trying. And suddenly we can pour our energies to what we actually can control and build a life there. Imagine an entire world that did this! It would be a pretty beautiful place.
Honestly, personal responsibility for ones own actions and reactions is up there as one of the sexiest traits a person can possess. Now... do I do this perfectly? Hell nope lol. But I'm perfectly aware that the only thing I can "control" is my own actions and reactions. The "letting go" of thoughts of annoyances, situations I wish I could control, etc. is where I get most fucked up. Letting go of thoughts comes about as naturally to me as an elephant do ballet. 😅
Agree, things are easier said than done. It’s all a continual practice for me. Meditation is the thing that helped me finally learn to let go of troubling thoughts. This is something I’ll be writing about soon! Thanks Megan.
Great post Amy! I find myself often trying to control things that are outside of my control. I've abandoned trying to get everyone to like me, and I've abandoned trying to always be busy. I'm trying to abandon things that do not serve me anymore, but that's a bigger task.
Thanks Stefano! It’s a lifelong project for sure but it sounds like you’ve already made great strides. It’s a knee jerk reaction to try to control things when we’re anxious - I’m speaking from a few decades of experience 😉
There's what you can control, and there's what you cannot. Paradoxically, being aware of this leads to more control as mastering yourself eventually broadens the number of things you can influence. In appreciating our limitations, we are enhanced.
You’re absolutely right. Everything that can be controlled is within us, and once we learn how, the reach of our influence naturally expands. Thanks Patrick!
SUCH an important portal of wisdom we are too often not taught. When we accept what we cannot control, we stop wasting time trying. And suddenly we can pour our energies to what we actually can control and build a life there. Imagine an entire world that did this! It would be a pretty beautiful place.
It would be vastly different, wouldn’t it? An interesting thought experiment. Thanks Stephanie.
I’d like to add one more thing. We control what we focus on or intend. We can aim our consciousness.
100% Thanks Tim!
Honestly, personal responsibility for ones own actions and reactions is up there as one of the sexiest traits a person can possess. Now... do I do this perfectly? Hell nope lol. But I'm perfectly aware that the only thing I can "control" is my own actions and reactions. The "letting go" of thoughts of annoyances, situations I wish I could control, etc. is where I get most fucked up. Letting go of thoughts comes about as naturally to me as an elephant do ballet. 😅
Agree, things are easier said than done. It’s all a continual practice for me. Meditation is the thing that helped me finally learn to let go of troubling thoughts. This is something I’ll be writing about soon! Thanks Megan.
Ooh yay! Excited to see what you write about meditation!! 👏👏👏
Rather shameless post plug here but I had a similar titled post - but very different content. I really liked the control angle you put on it.
Maybe you haven’t ‘got this’
was my title.
https://open.substack.com/pub/theabstractmind/p/maybe-you-havent-got-this?r=2iob9h&utm_medium=ios
Hey thanks for sharing, I’ll check it out!
This is such a great recipe for happiness! Very well written, thank you!
Thank you for reading it 😊
https://open.substack.com/pub/thruthelookingglass/p/it-turns-out-you-cannot-control-the?r=3va6jv&utm_medium=ios
I wrote a very similar essay. Great minds…
Thanks Holly, I’ll check it out!
Great post Amy! I find myself often trying to control things that are outside of my control. I've abandoned trying to get everyone to like me, and I've abandoned trying to always be busy. I'm trying to abandon things that do not serve me anymore, but that's a bigger task.
Thanks Stefano! It’s a lifelong project for sure but it sounds like you’ve already made great strides. It’s a knee jerk reaction to try to control things when we’re anxious - I’m speaking from a few decades of experience 😉