The Keys to Crazy
Today I am grateful I don't see a drink of alcohol as a solution or an escape anymore. I am also grateful for a good day of getting things done at a sane pace yesterday.
The things that had me edgy and frustrated yesterday are still lurking a bit. They don't ruin my day, but they do weigh me down some, and they do zap energy if I let them. Which brings me to the title of a book that my sister Aileen told me about. It is called People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them The Keys. It was written by Mike Bechtle and published in 2012. I may pick this book up at some point, but just the title is enough to help me.
What gets me frustrated and edgy is when I try to manage and control circumstances and others so that the outcome is favorable, at least in my opinion. I know on a cognitive level that trying to control circumstances and people is a futile effort. But my heart and my ego sometimes tune my brain out so I can pursue what I think needs to be pursued. And that is precisely when I give the keys away.
The only person I can control is little ole' me and that is only on a good day. When I can be mindfully present, I am less likely to be trying to run the world, and I am less likely to give away my keys. Gratitude practice, meditation, prayer, and pausing during my day are all some of the ways I try to achieve mindfulness.
I have made good progress. Yet, I look forward to how much more I can learn. Right here, right now, the keys to peace and serenity are where I can see them. I haven't given them away. If I can take my day in small chunks, hour by hour, I will be much more likely to hang on to my keys, much less likely to head down the crazy road of fear, worry, control, and ego.
It is the best I can hope for. It is enough.
The things that had me edgy and frustrated yesterday are still lurking a bit. They don't ruin my day, but they do weigh me down some, and they do zap energy if I let them. Which brings me to the title of a book that my sister Aileen told me about. It is called People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them The Keys. It was written by Mike Bechtle and published in 2012. I may pick this book up at some point, but just the title is enough to help me.
What gets me frustrated and edgy is when I try to manage and control circumstances and others so that the outcome is favorable, at least in my opinion. I know on a cognitive level that trying to control circumstances and people is a futile effort. But my heart and my ego sometimes tune my brain out so I can pursue what I think needs to be pursued. And that is precisely when I give the keys away.
The only person I can control is little ole' me and that is only on a good day. When I can be mindfully present, I am less likely to be trying to run the world, and I am less likely to give away my keys. Gratitude practice, meditation, prayer, and pausing during my day are all some of the ways I try to achieve mindfulness.
I have made good progress. Yet, I look forward to how much more I can learn. Right here, right now, the keys to peace and serenity are where I can see them. I haven't given them away. If I can take my day in small chunks, hour by hour, I will be much more likely to hang on to my keys, much less likely to head down the crazy road of fear, worry, control, and ego.
It is the best I can hope for. It is enough.
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