I have.
Yes, sometimes our suggestions are met with harsh resistance. If you've ever raised a teenager, (or remember yourself at that age), you probably have a good sense of what I'm talking about. Teenagers think they know what's best and they don't like being told what to do. They want to make their own decisions and sometimes, as hard as it is as a parent, we must allow them to experience the consequences. It ain't easy, I know!
But here's the thing... we ALL prefer doing things our own way, regardless of our age.
Now-a-days, I do my best to offer advice only when it's asked for, because when looking back on my own life, I realized it was often the consequences of my own poor choices that brought about the most growth and wisdom. Do we deprive others of that advancement when we interfere? I believe so.
Keeping all that in mind, perhaps we can alleviate a lot of frustration and wasted energy by simply letting go of what we can't control. This includes:
- The actions, attitudes, choices and opinions of others.
- The past. We can't do anything about all that stuff back there.
- External circumstances. Our power exists only in how we navigate through them.
I suppose, feeling a need for control is fairly common, especially when faced with uncertainty. However, trying to control everything can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety. Just as a demand for control can make us more critical of ourselves and others, letting go of control can bring about a greater sense of peace, enabling us to connect with others on a much deeper level.
By turning our focus toward what we CAN control: our actions, responses, efforts, perspectives, beliefs, energy, boundaries, bodies, consumptions, motivations, finances, etc, we empower ourselves to live much more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Let's get in the flow of letting things go.