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Woulda, coulda, shoulda. How many times have I looked back and second-guessed myself? If only I had/hadn’t said/done whatever it was that didn’t go the way I planned.
Like many of you, I sometimes live under the illusion that I am powerful and have great influence over people, places and things. I have joked about feeling so responsible for everyone and everything that I’m the CEO of the universe. In fact, I’m not that powerful; I’m not powerful at all. To be honest, it’s mostly fear at work.
There’s not much I can control, just my own thoughts, words, actions and choices. As difficult as it is for me to accept, the rest of you are on your own and will no doubt find your way without the benefit of me trying to run your life. And that’s the hardest thing for anyone to accept — that all our caring and good intentions aren’t enough to protect the people we love. We are powerless, and that’s just as frightening as what we are trying to prevent.
Poet, author and cancer survivor Mark Nepo said, “There are no wrong turns, only unexpected paths.” Life will take turns you didn’t plan for and can’t control. This is a great mindset shift. You’re not necessarily doing something wrong; however, life is full of the unexpected and the unpredictable. In fact, that’s the one thing that is predictable. You’re always learning…
