Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go your way? The cat dies, you have a flat tire, your dishwasher breaks, your friend is in the hospital, and you’re late to an important meeting when you get a text from last night’s date that says “Sorry, but I think it’s best if we end things here.” There’s something darkly comical about those days. Those days when you get so accustomed to your bad luck that you begin to confidently assume a meteor is about to fall from the sky and strike you upside the head. It probably won’t, but I would still suggest that you invest in a helmet for such occasions.
Sweet friend, those days are not my favorite days either. But in those moments when the world seems determined to break me, I smile, I laugh, and I carry on. And that’s not just because my life has graciously gifted me with a whimsically dark sense of humor, although, I do thank it for that. But instead, it’s because I’ve learned the art of shifting my perspective on how I see the external and living only within my realm of control. When you do that, you begin to look at life differently, you begin to see people differently, and you begin to respond to the uncontrollable circumstances in your life differently. Suddenly, all the events, people, and circumstances outside of you have no power over you. You can release them all effortlessly like a leaf falling in the autumn breeze. You can watch them fall to the cold, frosted ground, and thank them for teaching you yet another lesson in this life. But there is NOTHING outside of you that has the power to remove the peace, joy, and love that is accessible inside of you, unless you allow it to.
There is NOTHING outside of you that has the power to remove the peace, joy, and love that is accessible inside of you, unless you allow it to.
Heather Michelle
My beautiful friend, you have so much power inside of you that you don’t even see. You feel like your life is uncontrollable, but life will always be uncontrollable when we attempt to control that which we cannot. When your energy is focused on changing the events and people in your life, you will always live in chaos. So instead of trying to control the uncontrollable, simply watch it all play out in front of you. Release the uncontrollable to unfold as it will. And then consciously decide how you’ll respond to it. Because YOU choose who it is that YOU want to be and how it is that YOU want to show up in this life, no matter your circumstances. That is where your power lives, not in trying to control the uncontrollable.
So, when the tire blows, you choose to be grateful for the opportunity to teach your children how to change a tire. When the dishwasher breaks, you think to yourself, “Well, it’ll be nice to have a new dishwasher.” When you’re late to the meeting, you wonder “Was this God’s way of protecting me from a car accident?” And when people’s behavior or choices hurt you, you choose to extend grace, empathy, and kindness, but walk away from the chaos because you will always choose to move towards that which protects your peace. That is who you are, my friend. You are the person that controls YOU, your behaviors, attitudes, and choices in response to the uncontrollable external world around you. That is where your power lives. Your peace and joy will never come from the external world. Stop looking for it there! Rather, your peace and joy must always come from within. And when you finally realize that, your entire world will change. And you’ll live free.
~Heather Michelle
