Stop trying to control everything

This has been a consistent theme in my blogging lately. How we resist what is and therefore try to force the world to conform to our will. And how the world most of the time responds by giving us the finger. So I’m saying this as much to myself as I’m saying it to you.

With that being said, let’s stop and take a look at this for a moment. Can you remember the last time that you felt totally in control of everything in your life? I can’t remember ever having been in such a state. However, I’ve been more or less daily been occupied with trying to control everything, at the expense of caring for my inner life and the things that I actually do have control over. 

Let’s begin with the question: What do I have control over? I do have most control over my inner life. I can choose what thoughts I allow into my head and whether I believe them or not. This in turn determines my emotional state to a large degree. My thoughts may have turned into little monsters because I haven’t given them the proper attention and instead just let them do whatever they please. It is no wonder then that I have some inner discipline to take care of. And just like with a neglected child that has grown into a little monster, the thoughts will not just go along with any new decree. We have to tread careful here or they will rebell. 

But after a while, when they see that the new discipline actually makes us happier and stronger, they will be more ready to comply. As long as we don’t tyrannize ourselves. 

I also have control over my habits and how I organize my life. This again comes back to my thoughts. If my thoughts constantly tell me to just go and do whatever “I” want (really what the thoughts tell me that I want, which may not at all be what I really want) and that responsibility is boring, and I choose to believe them, I will never cultivate good habits or organize my life properly. Or if I instead of doing this, spend all of my time and energy trying to force the world to conform to my will, again something that beings with my thoughts, I will have very little time and energy for the things that I actually can control. 

So, what to do? Well, that’s easy. With all of the above in mind, just let go of everything that cannot be controlled, allow it to unfold as it does and focus and what you do have control over.