You can choose to have faith.

We really have no control over our lives. We might think we do, but actually, we don’t. I know this is an unsettling thought, but it’s true. Allow me to spell it out for you.

We have no control over our kids when they get behind the wheel of a car…unsettling.

We have no control over the health of our loved ones, and to some extent, our own health…unsettling.

We have no control over a crazy person coming into a movie theatre and shooting everyone…unsettling.

We have no control over being on the same road as a drunk driver…unsettling.

We have no control over the airplanes, trains, and subways we ride on…unsettling.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop. I’ve made my point.

But, what we can control, is how we deal with the unsettling feelings our lack of control can cause. Here’s what I know for sure: we have to have faith. Faith that everything will turn out the way we want it to, because most of the time it does. Faith that our kids will be safe, our plane will land, and that everyone we love will remain healthy.

You do what you can, and you control what you can control. And you let go of the rest. I can actively make decisions everyday that affect my health: I can eat well and exercise, surround myself with positive people, go to the doctor, and get the sleep I need. You can teach your kids the importance of being safety conscious, how to drive defensively, and to pay attention to their surroundings. But that’s about all we can do, all we can control.

We have to have faith.

You can spend your day worrying about what “might” go wrong, what “could” happen, and all the things we can’t control. But if you do that, you’re sabotaging your present moment and stealing your own joy.

Don’t do that.

Have faith that all will be good. Have faith that the universe is on your side. Have faith that the unsettling things you know can happen, won’t.

And, let the rest go.

Find meaning each day,

Dara