The department secretary asked me this morning how I am. I told her that everything I control is under control. My problem is that most things are not under my control at all!
We have this great delusion as a species that we have power to change things. When things don't go our way, we wonder what we could have done differently. The problem is that usually we're not the only people whose decisions went into play, and so even if we did right, if everyone else did wrong, we can't usually negate all of their activity by ourselves.
You have to get rid of your illusions of control. When you have choices to make and work to do, take control of the parts you control and do them well. If things go badly after that, take control of the products of the event over which you have control and make something of them. You may be familiar with the serenity prayer. There are things we simply cannot change. Time moves forward, gravity holds us down, and beauty is always fleeting or fake.
Basically, you control what raw materials you put in and what you do with the results of your efforts. If you put good materials in, you can get better products out, but only if the machinations that modify the materials add value. What comes out of the machine isn't under your control unless you made the machine. All you can do is make the best of what results.
Everything in my life that I control is under control. I also realize that most of life is far beyond my poor power to add or detract. When things happen beyond my control, I trust in a higher power to make something of it and look for the next opportunity to make something of my life.
We have this great delusion as a species that we have power to change things. When things don't go our way, we wonder what we could have done differently. The problem is that usually we're not the only people whose decisions went into play, and so even if we did right, if everyone else did wrong, we can't usually negate all of their activity by ourselves.
You have to get rid of your illusions of control. When you have choices to make and work to do, take control of the parts you control and do them well. If things go badly after that, take control of the products of the event over which you have control and make something of them. You may be familiar with the serenity prayer. There are things we simply cannot change. Time moves forward, gravity holds us down, and beauty is always fleeting or fake.
Basically, you control what raw materials you put in and what you do with the results of your efforts. If you put good materials in, you can get better products out, but only if the machinations that modify the materials add value. What comes out of the machine isn't under your control unless you made the machine. All you can do is make the best of what results.
Everything in my life that I control is under control. I also realize that most of life is far beyond my poor power to add or detract. When things happen beyond my control, I trust in a higher power to make something of it and look for the next opportunity to make something of my life.
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