Freedom In Letting Go

I once heard a quote about love that was something along the lines of "if you really love something, you must let it go." I remember that quote striking me as odd. If you love something, why wouldn't you want to hold onto it forever. And if someone wanted to take it away, they would have to pry it from your kung fu grip. Right?

But the older I get, the more I realize (ironically enough) the truth of those words. The fact of the matter is, there's a freedom in letting go of something. In fact, sometimes once you actually let it go, you realize it was never yours to hold in the first place.

The same is true for control. A friend of mine recently wrote about that very thing: learning how to let go of her sense of control. And more importantly, learning what happens when you do let go. Because the truth is, you and I have control over far fewer things than we think.

It only takes a few minutes of CNN or CNBC to realize just how little we actually are able to control. Even Uncle Sam, in all of his power and strength can't snap his fingers and pull our nation out of a recessapression. (It's my new favorite word to explain our current economic condition.)

I think the same thing applies on a more micro/personal level too. You and I may think we have a secure job or a relationship that will always be there. But that's simply not true. Everything vanishes eventually. Even you. I don't mean to be overly abrupt, but it's true.

The fact of the matter is, we can't control most things in our lives. Therefore the best that we can do is to work on the things that we can control, and learn to let go of everything else.

Working on it,
John

Fifty People, One Question

Fifty people in New York City were all asked one simple question:

"What do you wish would happen by the end of the day?"




via swiss miss

Who's in your phone?

As many of you know I recently got a new phone...or computer that just happens to make calls too. In the process, I had to re-enter all of my contact information. A pretty straightforward process to be sure, but it makes you reacess all of the people's numbers in your phone.

Really I'm not talking about numbers, but people. Who's in your phone? Do you prefer a small list of your closest friends/relatives. Or instead do you like to display nearly anyone and everyone you have ever called (or think you might one day.)

The same philosophy applies to your Facebook list of friends. Do you have 50 friends you know really well, or 500 (including the 50 you know well?)

I happen to fall on the more the merrier side of the scale. If only to play the occasional catch up once a year or so with one of the 450 that I don't know well. And in the meantime, I'm surrounding myself with people that I want to share influence with. They list the latest music their listening to or post photos of their most recent trip to Disneyland. All of which has an influence on me.

So back to the phone. Right now I'm at a little over 50 of my closest friends, family, and co-workers. But I'll be continuing to add to my circle of friends' numbers. So if you've updated your number recently, please by all means be sure to email me.

Thanks!
John

Frustrated

I need to get something off my chest.  If you've read my blog before, you know that I like to opine about a wide variety of topics.  The majority of my posts are upbeat, thoughtful, or funny (at least I'd like to think they are.)

But I'd like to take a brief hiatus from that to write about something I've felt lately: frustration. I've been frustrated lately at a wide variety of things.  Without going into too many details, I'll just say that some of those things are people or specifically their decisions, politicians, certain companies, and even my beat up car (oh the noises it makes.)  And the list goes on and on.

There's something inside of me that wants to positively change and influence people and situations around me.  I can't fully explain it, other than to say I always want things to be better tomorrow than they are today.

So back to those frustrated feelings.  I'm beginning to better understand that there are many things that are simply beyond my control (that's an understatement.)  Even certain things that I think I can affect are often not so easily changed.  

I'm trying to better understand the things in my life that I can affect and separate those from the things that I can't.  By doing so I hope to worry less about the things that are simply beyond my control.  And concentrate more on those things that I can influence.

Working on it.