Pathwalking 101
Who is in control of your life?
That is where choice comes in. That is what Pathwalking takes ahold of. Control.
We often look at the world and see who is control of what. Some of the controls we perceive are pretty enormous, like which corporation controls your elected officials, and what organizations are controlled by the government. Some are more personal, like the spouse who seems to be in control of your friend and his or her actions and such.
Pathwalking is not simply about choice, but also a matter of control. By making your own choices, you are taking control.
Control is, I find, an oft misunderstood concept. Misunderstood, I say, because all too frequently we believe in our lack of it.
That is out of my control. I cannot control his or her actions. I have lost control of the situation. They are controlling him/her/you/me.
The truth is, you only have no control if you ALLOW the control to be in the hands of another.
Choice and control are not so far removed from one another. Life is full of choices, and many of those choices are a matter of taking control of a given situation.
We need to recognize and acknowledge that we have more options to choose, and thus control, over all the things that happen in our lives. We need to empower ourselves, and make the life we desire to have.
Yes, I must allow that there ARE matters beyond my control. But they are wholly external. I cannot choose how other people are feeling, I cannot force anyone else to see things in my way. I have no control over the weather, greedy people, or any other such factors.
By the same token, and of equal importance, I CANNOT, and should not, have control of others. If I want to be free to make choices and control MY destiny, then I must respect the rights of everyone else to do the same for themselves. I may disagree with their views, I may argue to influence them to my way of seeing things, but I have no control over them and their destinies.
This brings up the topic of accountability. Many people in our society today refuse to be accountable for anything. They would rather blame someone else or pass on the responsibility to other forces. This comes back to the subject of control. We are ready to give it away frequently, rather than take it on so we may guide it as we would want it to go.
I have been Pathwalking weekly for nearly two years. I have been consistent with putting my thoughts here ever Wednesday. Both times I failed to get this out on time were due to circumstances that were, in fact, beyond my personal and immediate control.
Rather than let that stop me, I am taking what control I can, and still sharing my Pathwalk with you when the things that are beyond my control no longer present an obstacle.
We need to remember that the things we can control, we should control. As people often point out, it’s the little things that become the big things, and are usually of the greatest importance when the day is done. As such, how we let ourselves feel, what choices we make for our sustenance, our companionship, and our interactions with the world around us are for our personal control.
These are not matters to give away to the world around me. These are the things that make me who I am, and when I choose them for myself, I am taking control. I want to live the life I would choose, and I want to direct my own destiny. I want to be in control.
Control should not be feared. Control of your own life should be embraced, and something everyone should strive for. Control of your life leads to the empowerment of your life. Empowerment leads to contentment, and ultimately, I believe, to happiness.
Who is in control of my life? I am. I am responsible for my choices, accountable for my actions, and the person ultimately responsible for my own contentment and happiness. By taking control of my own life, I can be the best person I can be, not only for myself, but for the people I care about. That is what control of my own life lets me have.
Who is in control of your life?
This is the one-hundred first entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Thank you for joining me.
The first year of Pathwalking is available in print and for your Kindle.
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