Controlling outcomes

I am around some situations lately where I see a lot of stressers affecting people that I care for, people I have known for years and for a short time.  I too have experienced much stress in times past.  One thing I realized last few days is that you can’t control your outcomes sometimes.  Life takes you in new directions, some you may not even be ready for.  The joy is in the journey, but sometimes that journey may start off with some unhappiness at changes you are not ready yet to make.  I think if we stay with one path, and avoid making needed changes the path can become overgrown with weeds that choke the life right out of you. 

Sometimes to realize that there is a world of beautiful paths out there to take, you have to step off, make new changes and make a new way for your destination that lies ahead.  You can’t always concern yourself with how each outcome will affect others, because although it is wonderful to care for others and do the right thing, sometimes the right thing, is not necessarily the right thing for you.  You have to step out of your comfort zone, take a deep breath, and move forward, take the risk.  You may find that you will open up a world of happiness you did not even know existed.

I reminded someone I care for deeply today to breathe, to not do anything but just stay put and breathe.  I knew that this person has had more than enough things hit all at one time. This person has seen so many things and is always trying to fix and make things better.  This person does not see the qualities they possess, and it may be they are not told enough just how wonderful they are.  I took the time today after much thought, to tell them to sit down for just a few minutes and breathe, take in the world around them and yet I also reminded them it is not because they can’t handle things it is because they handle so much that they don’t see that they need to come up for air sometimes!

My advice for those out there now who are struggling, who sometimes don’t know how to put one foot forward…..stop for just a second, look around you, and smile….things sometimes change when we least expect it for all the right reasons!

We cannot control the outcomes sometimes, but we can control how we react to it.