Are you a Control Freak?
Do you feel as though you have the best ideas?
Are you frustrated when people don't listen to you?
Do you ever think that if people would hear what you're saying, and do it, then everything would be better?
I suffer from the disease of thinking I know best too.
The truth is, I don't. Neither do you.
What makes me arrogant and self-righteous enough to think that I have autonomy over others?
FEAR...
→ The fear of being out of control.
→ The fear that I can't control other people.
→ The fear that I will have to surrender my will to something bigger than myself.
→ The fear that if I let people walk their own path I'll have to look even more closely at my own.
I often wish I could control others.
It seems as though life would be so much easier if people complied with my plan.
The truth is it causes me more pain and aggravation than I'd like to admit sometimes.
Why?
Because the only person I can successfully control is myself and even that can be a long shot!
I invite you to grab a pen and paper and answer these two questions:
1. Who am I trying to control? (write down all the people you can think of)
2. List specific examples of how I am trying to control each person.
Your answers are the first step in creating awareness around your need to control.
When we keep the focus on ourselves, we find greater peace and serenity than we could possibly imagine.
Remember to give people the dignity to walk their own path. You don't need to understand why and you don't need to agree with them. Just as someone doesn't need to understand your why or agree with you. At the end of the day, aren't you doing what you think is best for yourself? Let's practice extending that same grace to someone we love this week.
With Love,
Sarah x
p.s. Massive thanks to the program of Al Anon Family Groups, of which I am a member, for inspiring this content.