Confessions of a Control Freak
I've been grappling with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles for months.
As you may know, in late January I packed up my car and my dog Bebe and headed to Arizona. I left for a couple of reasons. I was ready for a big change, and I wanted to escape the brutal East Coast winter. I had no idea how long I'd be gone. I had no real plan.
It was surprisingly liberating.
That is...until it came time to renew my New York car registration and inspection.
Let me tell you, if this wasn't a lesson in surrendering to things I had little or no control over, I don't know what is.
A guide to What you can and cannot control
Do you feel like you have no control over your circumstances or what is happening around you?
We all struggle with circumstances beyond our control. The world at large may feel like it is about to implode or feel tenuous at best. Add to this some personal circumstances you are experiencing that you may have little or no control over. It’s a recipe for stress and anxiety times 100!
First things first - there are a few things to consider that will help you take stock of the impact.
Awareness: Take note of how it makes you feel emotionally and physically. Do you feel stress or anxiety? Are you angry or frustrated? How is it showing up? Do you have a short temper? Are you struggling to stay focused? Are you exhausted? Are you losing sleep? Is it affecting your appetite? I’m here to tell you that any and all of these reactions are par for the course.
Acknowledgement: Take stock of all the things you CAN control - your daily activities, your reaction to life events, how you take care of yourself, the work that you do, who you socialize with, and what brings you joy. You may realize you have more control over your life than you originally thought.
Understanding: Understand that there are just some things that are beyond your control. By all means, take it all in, noodle on it for a while, maybe even dwell on it for an extended period of time. Then, take a deep breath and accept that there is very little and quite possibly nothing you can do about that particular thing! Feel the freedom of your acceptance. It’s liberating.
Now let’s discuss what you have the power to control…