Jim's Gems: Get Back In Control

If you’re like most people, there are days that seem like events in your life have gotten out of control. Some days, it's easy to feel that way.

No matter how diligently you set goals, visualize results, and think positively about the outcome, occasionally your life is going to feel as if it's gone a little crazy. No matter how hard you try, there are going to be times when carefully laid plans will go up in smoke — sometimes quite literally.

Maybe people whom you have counted on in the past, who had previously been dependable, have let you down. Maybe a health or family crisis surfaces unexpectedly. Maybe a natural disaster like a tornado or a forest fire destroys everything substantive you have worked hard to amass and sets you back to the starting line. Maybe it’s nothing this dramatic, but still a series of events that make you feel as if your world has completely gone off course, out of control and lost at sea.

At times like these, there are a few things that might help you keep your sanity and assist you in getting through the maze of uncertainty.

First, no one can control every aspect of their life. No matter how moral you are or how good your attitude is, you must know that no one can control every aspect of their life. Bad things happen to good people all the time.

Second, it's important to remember that there is only one thing in life that is completely within your power to control, and that is your response to what happens to you. When you find yourself overcome with feelings of fear, helplessness, doom and gloom, you can put the brakes on these feelings by gently yet firmly choosing to shift the focus of the thoughts running through your mind.

Your feelings are a direct result of the thoughts you think. Try setting aside a few minutes every morning and evening for positive thoughts and visualization. It won’t cure everything, but it is an effective way of getting your thoughts back under your control again. Try it – what do you have to lose? You might be surprised at just how well it works.

Think about it…