How many times have you hit a wall during your life and wanted to quit? Maybe you are there now.
Life can be fairly complicated. Most of us have plenty to manage in our day-to-day lives such as jobs, relationships, family, finances, sleep, health and so forth.
We all seem to have a tremendous amount of unrelenting chronic stress in our lives. Living in prolonged stress and anxiety is uncomfortable. Most would argue that it is really no way to live at all. Yet for many of us, this has become the norm. Everyday is about simply surviving, only to get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
To change your life in a big way, you have to start small. Simplifying your life must involve differentiating between those things you have control over and those things you do not.
A prayer with origins from centuries ago, revised a number of times sums it up best:
“Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.” ‐ Reinhold Niebuhr
Control is an illusion. You risk exhaustion and burnout by trying to control everything. You also limit your growth and potential. The outside world has the ability to trigger your emotional responses. You don’t choose to be affected the way that you are, you simply react. Reacting negatively doesn’t keep bad things from happening; it delays your progress.
If distinguishing between what’s in your control and what is not sounds easier said than done, then it’s time for therapy. Therapy teaches you how to better invest your time and energy. While you may not have control over specific events, you do have the power to decide how to deal with it. This process is entirely within your control.
Carrie
