Years ago when a friend was going through a difficult time, I asked her how she was doing. She said, “I can either cope or reign and I’ve decided to reign.” What she had realized is that we may not control our circumstances, but neither do we have to let our circumstances control us. As a mother a two littles where my own goals and desires seem to always take a back seat, feeling out of control is where I live. I’m realizing that while I can discipline my children and guide them toward proper decision making, I can’t control them. But I can be master of my own thoughts, attitudes, behaviors and emotions. Events in my life and the world around me may not be under my influence, but I can decide how I will react to them.
I can be the bird who is blown off course by the storms or I can choose to fly; banking against the winds and using the updrafts to take me in the direction I want to go. You see I’ve been given all the mental and emotional tools I need to navigate these storms, I just need to utilize them. I am surrounded by friends, family and other support structures. I am not alone. So I can chose to cope, to be at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Or I can fly. I choose to fly.
I love that you are choosing to fly. Sometimes we don’t have the ability to choose the things that happen to us, but we can choose how we respond. Thanks for sharing.
Visiting from FMF.
So true. I’m once again in that state where I’m reminded all too well that I can’t control any of what swirls around me, but I can decide what happens inside, including what I choose. Thanks for that reminder!
Such a great lesson learned here, choosing to fly. Thankful I stopped by today from the 5MF!