A BIT OF WISDOM FROM MY LATEST "FAVORITE BOOK"

 

from pages 294-295

YOU HOLD THE POWER AND YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN GIVING IT AWAY

You’ve been trying to control the uncontrollable, trying to force the world to conform to your expectations. But what if, instead, you focused on your own response to whatever the world throws your way? You can’t change the weather. But you can change how it impacts you.

No matter what happens around you, you decide how it will affect you.

You decide if a comment from a loved one destroys your self-esteem or rolls off your back. You decide if all the bad dates you’ve been on cause you to lower your standards or you become even more discerning. You decide if someone else’s success makes you quit or inspires you to work even harder.

It’s that simple. You have the power.

This realization is like finally understanding the true nature of the sky. The clouds that once frustrated you are now seen as part of a larger, ever-changing masterpiece. The storms that once frightened you are now moments of power and beauty, teaching you resilience and strength. You start to see that the sky’s unpredictability is what makes it so magnificent, so endlessly fascinating.

Think about that for a moment. The sky will do what it does— clouds will gather, storms will come, and the sun will shine when it pleases. You can’t control it, but you can control how you navigate beneath it. You can carry an umbrella; you can dance in the rain; you can chase the sun when you need to.

The people and situations around you are like the weather. The fact is, you can never control other people — how they think, how they act, whether or not they love you, or how fast they check you out at the grocery store.

So why on earth would you ever give them the level of control over you that you have been giving them?

Why would you ever entrust something as precious as your confidence, your peace of mind, your happiness, and your dreams to the whims and moods of the people around you?