CONTROL

The simple truth about control is that we have very little of it. We cannot control the weather or the economy and we certainly cannot control what other people do or do not do. I think that if we all opened our minds to this concept, it would make our lives a whole lot easier.

Many of us create turmoil in our lives obsessing over the things that we have absolutely no control over. If we could only focus that energy on something that we can influence, it would make life so much more enjoyable. So what do we have control over, you ask? Unfortunately for those self proclaimed control freaks (yes, I belong to that group too), the answer is unbelievably simple....Ourselves.

You can control your behaviors and your reactions to other people's behavior and that is pretty much it. Short of blackmailing, we really cannot control what other adults say, do, or think. And honestly, blackmail isn't even a guarantee, but rather a situation where the blackmailer hopes and prays that the blackmailee does what they want so they don't have to follow through with whatever it is you said they would do.

In closing.....
You can't make someone love you. You can't make someone make good decisions. You can't make someone break up with someone else. You can't make your loved ones stop using drugs or alcohol and you cannot stop a cheater from sleeping with every girl in town. It took me a very long time to realize these things. I only wish it hadn't taken me so long, as I wasted a lot of precious time.