The secret to life is to stay chilled and relaxed about stuff.
We can only control one thing and that is what we choose to do, think, feel, say or the people we surround ourselves with.
All other things, like other’s choices, the weather etc are all outside of our control.
We are all guilty to a greater or lesser extent of trying to change or control these things, that we simply can not control. We often, like swimming against a tide, try relentlessly to make a certain outcome happen, exhausting ourselves mentally and even physically, in the process.
So I am gradually learning to focus on just the things that I can control. Such as choosing my daily mindset, choosing to be happy, to be positive, no matter what comes along. This is hard, but like all things it is just a habit and therefore if you practice it often enough, then it becomes easier and part of your routine.
I have almost, I am smiling to myself now, stopped trying to control others and how they may react. This has been another big challenge, but at the end of the day people will make their own minds up and the more you try to make a particular outcome happen, often the more that outcome is less likely to happen. Most of us like the freedom of making our own choices. Therefore, when we feel pressured from others, we sometimes become more inclined to do the opposite (is that’s just me!).
So, most outcomes in life will happen anyway, no matter what we say or do or how much we try to make them so. Therefore, it is best to just chill and focus on you and your choices.
99.99% of all the things we worry about never happen and if they do, if the worst happens, most of us are more than able to deal with that situation. Also, it is rarely as bad as we anticipate either.
OK so I am off to chill and be happy.
Philip Dodson 