Most of us are trained to believe that we have control over everything that can affect our lives or even the lives of those we love. While this encouraging belief allows us to be active and self-confident, it does not apply in every case. For example, our birth is not our choice; coming to life is still not in our hands. We can determine whether someone else will come to life by deciding to have kids, but when it comes to ourselves, this is impossible. Psychics and many alternative therapists may claim that our souls pre-existed before we came to Earth.
However, there is still no proof of that. Regardless of what we believe, we have to admit that at least the conscious part of ourselves is not aware of every situation that we come across. Let us put aside the issues of life and death for a moment and think about more simple stuff. Can we, for instance, determine how the climate will change? Considering that brilliant and qualified scientists worldwide who work hard on that are still unable to give any answers, we can realize that our effect on the universe is not so impressive. Yet, we can decide when we want to have a trip or what kind of career we want to follow.
At this point, here comes a great saying that wants to show people how weak they are sometimes. ”When people make plans, God laughs.” One may be religious or not, but this saying is not to prove the existence of God or how powerful He is. It is used to actually point out that we are not as powerful as we believe. A hint that we are not alone on this planet and there are other parameters with which we interact is given through this clever saying.
This realization may disappoint some people, but this should not be the case. This saying is neither about making us think that we are helpless and our own powers do not really count. The gist of this phrase is that perhaps we should not care that much about controlling things. For some people, it sounds relieving to hear that there are stronger powers that can pull the strings and that they can trust for the future. All they have to do is allow themselves to feel the love in the air and let go of all their fears. In other words, it is not about who makes plans but about the plans themselves.
Perhaps it is uncommon to believe that something or someone else can determine your fate and decide whether you will be healthy or sick, happy or sad, and so on. It is not a matter of whether God exists. One could argue that the government or politics and big corporations play a major role in the lifestyle we will adopt. Again the outcome is the same, and the conclusion is that external power has control over us. So, it is not about whether it is God, nature, the universe, or simply the government that controls us. It is about whether someone controls us in the first place. And this is where the whole idea of control has to be reconsidered.
Control, perhaps, may only be obtained when we allow ourselves to lose it. The state where we feel completely free gives us the greatest control we can ever have. We want to have control over things because we are afraid that if we do not have it, disasters will follow. Once we refuse to put ourselves in this situation, we can see why life can be bright, and control will simply have no reason to exist. Besides, control may be crucial for our survival and prosperity in some cases. However, nowadays, we are not as threatened as we think. Our basic needs are more or less satisfied, and relaxing should not cause fear or unpleasant emotions.
Have you read?
How JC White, Founder & CEO of T3 Body, Founded a Business Empire Focused on Fitness for Entrepreneurs.
Why Leadership Needs to Start Stepping Out of Comfort Zones Again by Gloria St. Martin-Lowry.
Economic Profit as the Ultimate Performance Measure by Gregory V. Milano.
Ode to Joy by Leo Bottary.
Why Your Company’s Health Depends On Your Personal Health by Dr. Erik Reis.
