Humans seem to be wired to seek control. It’s a natural part of our constitution. We seek certainty and stability, and it is easy to believe that control is the way to get there.
If I could just control things, I would be safe.
It’s an illusion.
There’s very little we control.
I don’t have to tell you that you can’t control the weather or the ocean or the amount of daylight in the day.
You likely know that you can’t control how other people respond to you or what other people say or do.
Perhaps you know where you are trying to control things. But maybe you can’t see all the places you’re trying to control life.
Here’s a question to examine this from another perspective:
What do you try to manage?
Manage is just another word for control.
Years ago I surveyed my Facebook friends on this. They came up with a wide range of things they tried to manage. The top ones included:
- money
- time
- other people
- processes
- systems
- outcomes
- attention
- energy
- expectations
What would you add to this list?
How is it serving you to try to manage it?
Can you let it go?
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...