Focus on what matters
Focus on what you can control, forget the rest
I was someone who always tried to have a plan so I could be ready for anything life put before me. I tried to “Concentrate on what you can control and then have a mental breakdown trying to control what you can’t”. It wasn’t until I saw one of my children stressing over the way someone else made them feel that I realised I had it all wrong.
Life can’t always be controlled but the way you let others make you feel can be. Sometimes you should spend all your energy focusing on what you can control and letting go of everything else.
Somethings we can’t control….
It is difficult when someone hurts you and even more when you truly don’t understand why. Holding onto that hurt and allowing it to control you, only generates negative emotions. Both of these things are in your control – holding onto what others think of you and holding onto the emotions that follow.
It is when you finally let go of parts of your life that no matter how hard you work, you cannot change it. So why work so hard and cause yourself stress. It’s time to let go and concentrate on what you can control.
20 things you can control
- Talking to yourself positively
- The way you talk to those around you
- The amount of physical exercise you give your body
- The food you nourish your body with
- Your level of honesty
- Whether you are a listener or a talker
- How often you smile every day
- The time you spend worrying about irrelevant things
- The amount of love you give your children
- Whether you see the glass half empty or half full
- How mindful you want to be
- How you make other people feel about themselves
- Having a generous heart
- Allowing yourself to ask for help
- Offering help in return
- Whether you judge people or accept people
- Having an open heart to receive true love
- Whether you believe in yourself
- Your words
- Your thoughts
Hey Natalie,
I can so relate.
“Concentrate on what you can control and then have a mental breakdown trying to control what you can’t”.
lol
Also, the picture in this post brought back vivid memories of an epic traffic jam in Bangkok I once got stuck in. Funny enough, I went through a whole cycle of getting all worked up about all this wasted time, and then eventually thinking: Well, it’s out of my hands, and nothing good comes out of imploding while sitting here. Might as well take a few deep breaths and try to calm down.
Mind you, this was back in the days when we didn’t carry smartphones with us, so it was even more challenging to sit in that car with just me, myself, and I (and the impressively serene cab driver).