Control What You Can & Let Go of The Rest
Are you a control freak? I know i have those tendencies from time to time. Well, today I decided to resign from General Commander of the Universe again. Yes, I said, again. Seems somewhere along the way I decided to pick up the crown and cape and try to manage everything in my life. The funny thing is you can go days before you even realize that you are doing it. We really do make life so much harder then we realize. We lose the mental game every day and the downward spiral happens before we know it.
Why is it so hard to let go, and let God? The tricky part is learning the difference of being a manager and a control-freak.
A control freak…
- Wants to manipulate every outcome to their favor
- wants to know what is going on at all times
- never wants surprises or the unexpected to come visit
- wants a predictable outcome
A manager…..
- works with what he is given
- understands that things beyond his control will happen
- makes the wisest decision when the unexpected does come
- knows the results are out of his hands
Whether your burden today is physical, financial, relational, or business-related, you need to understand your limits. Limits provide freedom. The sooner that you believe that you are human and that you cannot possible control everything, the sooner you will be able to relax and take things as they come.
Controlling what you can is a constant habit and practice that you have to do on a regular basis. When you stress meter is getting high, 9 times out of 10 it is a direct result of you trying to control something.
Simple Exercise
The Bible tells us to worry about nothing and pray about everything. Max Lucado in his book Fearless gives a great illustration about how to handle worry. If you looked down at your arm and saw a mosquito, what would you instinctively do?
That’s right, you would swat at it, crush it, and smack it. You should do the same with worry. Treat it like that mosquito that is being a nuisance. Don’t let it stay there. Swat at it and get rid of it now!
The simple truth is that when you are trying to control everything what you are really doing is worrying. Stop worrying and let go.
By the way, if you are looking for a job the General Commander of the Universe is vacant again, but if I were you…I would keep on walking.
