Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Control

Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference!
Unknown Author

Sometimes we get bogged down trying to change things we actually have no control over at all. We waste our energy and our time.

Here are some examples of things I have no control over and that no matter what I do, I cannot change:
  • my age
  • my skin colour
  • how fast my hair grows
  • my eye colour
  • the number of hours in a day
  • how fast flood waters come up or go down
  • the way I was raised
  • other people
  • the age of my children or the stage of development they are in
  • what other people think about me
  • who likes me
  • who loves me
  • who dislikes me
  • who hates me
  • who thinks I am an idiot
  • who agrees with me
  • who disagrees with me
  • a death, illness or accident in the family
  • being laid off from a job
  • the weather
  • when work or a project takes longer than expected
  • traffic congestion
  • how long the washing takes to dry on the line
  • how other people speak
  • whether someone wants you in their life
But, here are some of the things I do have control over and that I do have the capacity to change if I don't like how things are a the moment:
  •  if I am honest
  • how I interpret situations
  • how I behave
  • how well I listen
  • my expectations
  • my disappointments
  • how much I worry
  • how much I exercise
  • how I speak to others
  • who I like and love
  • how I conduct myself when I drive
  • what type of food and how much I eat
  • when to walk away from an argument
  • how often I say thank you
  • how much I appreciate in my life
  • how kind I am
  • which commitments I keep and cancel
  • how much I admit I don't know something
  • what I read
  • how clean I keep my surroundings
  • how negative or positive I am
  • how many risks I take
  • who I ask for help
  • whether I take care of myself
  • how much rest I have
  • how much of what others say I believe
  • how much I judge other people 
Now you know the difference you can be wise in your choices as to what you spend your time and energy  focusing on. Pick just one of the items you would like to have more control over in your life (only from the second list) and start to make the changes necessary. Your life will be richer for it.

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