Beyond Our Control

It’s a part of being human
To believe that events
Outside of ourselves
Control our fate,
As if we have no power
To have it be
Any other way than
The way it is.
Do we really want to believe
That the alignment of
The stars and the moon
Conspired against us
The day we were born,
Foretelling a future
Against which we have
No defenses?
Who is that person
Who determines our path?
If it’s not ourselves,
Who do we blame?
Are we the innocent victim
Of circumstances
We paint ourselves to be,
Or more likely,
Are we simply abdicating power
Over our actions
And our reactions
With the words we use,
And the way we think.
I hear it so often,
I almost believe it is true,
Expressions like
“He made me mad!”
Or “She makes me angry!”
But who are we implying
Was in the driver’s seat
When our reaction
Was determined?
Apparently not us!
We may look out
And see an overcast sky,
Then allow the resulting gloom
To color our day
And maybe our week.
We may spill a cup of coffee,
And have it stain our attitude.
We may feel
The pressure of time
And be in such a rush
That we make
Foolish mistakes,
But if we had planned
Just a little better,
Or left a few minutes earlier,
Might we have been
More in control of the pace.
Can we learn to take
Varied circumstances in stride,
And not let them
Ruffle our feathers.
Why is it that sometimes
We don’t even feel like
We have time to breathe,
Or even go to the bathroom
When we need to?
Isn’t it us who creates
The sense of the urgency,
The necessity
Of acting in such haste.
We are given
The ability to choose
How to respond
To whatever we experience.
It is completely our choice.
Whether we are happy or sad,
Relaxed or tense,
Alert or tired and indifferent,
We are the cause.
Our sense of involuntary reaction
Is a lie we tell ourselves
Which robs us of our ability
To live a life we choose.