Letting Go of Control

Hi Everyone,

How are you all going?… I’m hoping this article reaches all of you because I had a lot of trouble sending my March newsletter and am aware many missed out. Hence this newsletter is all about Letting Go of Control 🙂 But is Letting go of control easy or can it be as daunting as it sounds? Well, when we recognise and consistently use our inner resources – our own inner power – control of what we can’t control suddenly isn’t so important and letting go becomes a whole lot easier 🙂

Not being able to send my newsletters last month sent me on a bit of a journey of frustration – the more I tried to force the situation the more frustrated I got.  After a while it became obvious that it just wasn’t going to happen – and there was nothing I could do about it – except to accept. Giving myself permission to stop, breathe and reset myself enabled me to recognise that the emotional frustration I was creating, was based on my perceived ‘wasted time’ and letting others down (this last one is still a weakness I have yet to transcend) 🙂  But rather than let the frustration beat me I stepped back, then faced up to the negative thoughts I was creating under the circumstances. This seemingly small practice opened a space for me to see the benefit in the situation, thus it became a great opportunity for me to let go and let God… And of course writing articles on self empowerment is never a waste of my time, because I learn so much whenever I write – keeping me on track on my own spiritual journey.

Denial and ignorance are two major players that can keep us stuck in old disempowering patterns of blaming and shaming and victimising (of others and of ourselves). So the more we face up to and accept our own shortcomings the less we try to control that which we cannot control – and the less we justify our behaviour. Interestingly, I come across many souls who flatly deny their control struggles, preferring instead to project onto others what they do not wish to look at. Fact is, if we don’t own our own power (to step into, to stand, to walk and to talk in our power – with love) we automatically try to control the world around us. We don’t need to be ‘control freaks’ or battle OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) to be affected by the ‘control bug’, actually there are many levels of wanting some kind of control. Fact is, when we don’t have control over ourselves, we will try to control situations – and indeed others. When our thoughts and actions are fear-based and disempowered, wanting control is not far behind because it’s an automated response! Accepting that ‘yes I do try to control that which is beyond my control’, we free ourselves from the shackles of our own self-imposed limitations. The cage door may be open but if we don’t learn to fly with our own inner resources, we will remain imprisoned in our own self-limiting stories. So to help you let go of control and to help you take your wings and fly below is a list of things you CAN control.

Things you CAN control:

Your attitude ~~ Your thoughts ~~ Your perspective ~~ Your responses ~~ Your choices ~~ Your decisions ~~ What you believe ~~ What you feed your body and your mind ~~ Who you surround yourself with ~~ How and when you exercise (your body and your mind) ~~ How much care and effort you put into your own wellbeing ~~ How kind you are to yourself and to others ~~ How you choose to express yourself ~~ How often you smile per day ~~ How much time you spend worrying about the future or dwelling in the past ~~ Whether or not you judge or blame or shame others (or yourself) ~~ Whether or not you ask for help ~~ How often you practice feeling grateful or happy or calm ~~ How you spend your money ~~ Whether or not you let an adverse situation hold you down ~~ Whether you get up and keep going after a stumble ~~ How much you appreciate what you have  ~~ How you spend your time on earth.

Things you CAN’T control:

Pretty much everything else!!… That is, everything and everyone outside of you – from what others think and believe, how others behave and spend their time on earth – all the way to the weather!

Time to stop trying to control what we cannot in reality control. Time to let go and lighten the load 🙂

Question: Why do I feel the need to control?

Consideration:  What would be the worst thing that could happen by letting go of control?

Action:   For the month of April, practice letting go of everything and everyone, in your mind. By not carrying others or situations in our mind, we instantly lighten up. Don’t let old programming, such as guilt, get in the way. In fact, practice getting out of your own way and watch how life becomes magical again

Happy April and stay well

Lots of love,   Annemarie