Letting go of control

Uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today. The current COVID-19 pandemic has heightened uncertainty over the economy, employment, finances, relationships, and of course, physical and mental health.

It’s human to react emotionally to changes and situations that are outside of our control.

Craving security is part of human nature. We want to feel safe and have a sense of control over our lives and well-being.

Fear and uncertainty can leave you feeling stressed, anxious, and powerless over the direction of your life. It can drain you emotionally and trap you in a downward spiral of endless “what-ifs” and worst-case scenarios about what tomorrow may bring.

We’re all different in how much uncertainty we can tolerate in life. Some people seem to enjoy taking risks and living unpredictable lives, while others find the randomness of life deeply distressing. But all of us have a limit. If you feel overwhelmed by uncertainty and worry, it’s important to know that you’re not alone.

It gives a feeling of safety and foreseeable future to be in control. No hidden agenda, no sneaky catastrophes around the corner or unknown situations, let alone a life-changing experience that we could not prepare for. Latest by now, after we have experienced a worldwide pandemic, we know that there are things far beyond our control that can happen - and we have no control over it, whatsoever. In fact, once we drop the curtain of fear and allow ourselves to courageously face reality, there is actually very little that we are in control of. In fact, the few things that we are in control of range from taking care of our physical appearance to how you emotionally respond to events around you. And perhaps the haircut of your cat or colour of your dog's collar.

As easy as the above may read, it takes some realization and perhaps surrender to get to terms with the concept of not being in control.

As a A-type personality and self-diagnosed control-freak, I had to learn lack of control the hard way when my personal life circumstances changed and the unforeseeable happened. As I spiraled down what seemed to be a never-ending, dark hole, everything that had seemed to be under (my) control, was suddenly out of line.

Anyone who has had a life-changing experience that forced them to re-evaluate life and its principles, might agree with me. Once I came to the realization and allowed myself to understand that there is so little that I can actually control, my life started moving upwards again. I realized that I have a choice about what to react to and how to react to. A choice whether my day would start as a 'bad day' just because this one cheeky driver pushed his car in front of mine at the stop street, I had overslept and missed a meeting or my daily exercise... whatever it may be, I started to realize how much I control I had by controlling how I reacted to events and situations around me.

#lifestyle #decisionmaking