Are You In Control?
06October

Are You In Control?

Written by Brett Brostrom, Posted on , in Section Relationships That Matter

Being in control will help you live a much longer, happier life. 

Life has a lot of moving parts. From the moment we wake up in the morning, there are meals that need to be prepared, kids to be taken to school, and deadlines at work that need to be met. Do you feel like you are just being pulled through life by your hair, or do you feel like you’re in control of your day to day situations? Is there any way to actually have any control?

It’s natural to feel overwhelmed no matter where you are in your life. Every day brings a new experience that you might not feel that you’re ready for. The nerves you feel at the first day on a new job, or the stress that you feel when your children are misbehaving can lead to feeling overwhelmed and like you have no control. You could be struggling with your sleeping habits, or have some addictions you wish you could overcome. What's the point of doing all of these things if it's just a continual onslaught of stress and anxiety? Obviously, there are some things that we just have to do (like work), but is there a way to make it worth something? Can we actually be happy when it seems like everything and everyone is against us? A new study reported by theatlantic.com says that having control (or feeling like you do) will prolong your life.

It's really easy to be busy. We cram our schedules full of stuff to do so we feel like we're not wasting anytime. What's the big hurry? Some people base their self-worth on their to-do list for the day, and how much they accomplish on that list. 

So…. What Now?

What does all of this mean for you and me? Perhaps one of the most underestimated and least understood “laws of the universe” is that ultimately, we have more of a choice in most situations than we realize. If this is something that you understand at a young age, or teach your children, you can set the foundation for a happy and successful life, choosing to do things that make you happy and avoid the things that bring despair.

The more positivity we bring into our lives will ultimately bring more success and happiness than we ever could have imagined. What are the things that are holding you from accomplishing what's important to you?  Take a step back and realize that you do, in fact, have control of how you feel despite what other people do or say or think, and you can be the happiest person you know. Sometimes we have to forego things that we consider good in order to accomplish something better.