By WHEN LIFE DOESN’T GO AS PLANNED, REMEMBER THIS…
Angel Chernoff
Over the years, I’ve learned that a great deal of the control we believe we have over our lives is an absolute illusion. For example, I’ve recently met …
- a young man who had his life turned upside down by cancer
- a young woman, and mother of two, who lost her husband to death at 27
- a hard-working employee who lost her job when her employer of 25 years filed for bankruptcy
- and many, many more people just like them
It happens every single day; we wrestle with situations and circumstances we think we can control, but we really can’t.
So what can we do?
The only choice we have …
In the game of life, we all receive a unique set of unexpected limitations and variables in the field of play. The question is: How will you respond to the hand you’ve been dealt? You can either focus on the lack thereof or empower yourself to play the game sensibly and resourcefully, making the very best of every outcome as it arises, even when it’s heartbreaking and hard to accept.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the mind is our biggest battleground.
It’s the place where the strongest conflict resides. It’s where half of the things we thought were going to happen, never did happen. It’s where our expectations always get the best of us. It’s where we fall victim to our cravings to control the uncontrollable.
Without a doubt, we all face our share of difficult circumstances, many of which are not the results of anything we’ve done. Think about the people I mentioned above. Like them, we have choices when it comes to how we’ll respond to seemingly-random tragedies that afflict us.
The choice is as simple as it is universal:
- Grit our teeth and try to move the immovable object, and become frustrated and bitter when we realize we can’t.
- Let it be. Let go.
Paradoxically, the first choice is easier because it’s our default action. We want control because feeling out of control is utterly terrifying.
In the Getting Back to Happy Course, we show you how to let go—how to understand the difference between what you can control and what you can’t.
Empowering yourself to relinquish control is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself—the ability to exist peacefully amidst the chaos of life.
If you feel yourself slowly collapsing under the weight of life and circumstances, we have a proven path to a more peaceful life. We’d love to share it with you.
French philosopher François-Marie Arouet once said:
“We are free at the instant we wish to be.”
Choose to be free in the midst of life’s uncertainties.
And of course, if you’re struggling with any of this, know that you are not alone. Many of us are right there with you, working hard to think more clearly, respond to life more effectively, and get ourselves back on track.
