Control Freak Ade

[Michelle Teyke]

"One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do."

John Farnham ( Three Dog Night)

Have you ever cried yourself to sleep because you felt overwhelmed?

Have you ever screamed and yelled at your children because you were utterly exhausted and couldn't handle the stress?

Have you ever slammed a door behind you trying to keep the world away?

Have you ever felt so alone that it hurts?

Well, I cannot lie, I have experienced all of these things and know for a fact that many people have felt these things at one time or another.

The most valuable piece of information that I have learned about this topic is something I have not only read about but have experienced first hand in my life.

We must take full responsibility for how our lives are NOW!

What this means is, if we feel overwhelmed, we are responsible.

If we are angry and stressed out, we are responsible.

If we feel alone, we are responsible.

We are totally responsible for how we react to every situation in our life. We form our lives, one reaction at a time.

We cannot control the things that happen to us, like the baby screaming or the dog throwing up or even the phone ringing constantly. But we can control how we react to those things. That is where we are responsible: How we react to things.

Marianne Williamson sums it up beautifully in her book, A Return To Love . "'We're taking the ultimate responsibility for a situation by being responsible for our thoughts about it. We're responsible enough to know that, when left to our own mental devices, we will instinctly respond from fear. We're responsible enough to ask for help."

Asking for help is very hard for most people because the fear of losing total control is very strong. Relying on family or friends is seen as a weakness instead of a strength. Asking your higher power through prayer or meditation, whatever religion you practice, is also frightening for people because of the fear of losing control. What does that mean to be in control anyway?

The only control we have is how we react to this moment!

As an exercise I would like you to ask for help or assistance this week and relinquish your martyrdom of total control. Then journal how you felt about asking and receiving help. Go ahead, ask your husband to watch the kids while you go shopping. Go ahead, ask your neighbor to exchange playdates for your kids. Go ahead and pray or meditate for guidance in your life.

I would love to hear about your experience in relinquishing control and taking responsibility to ask for help when needed!

Even if you are not a Mom, take the plunge!

Visit my website at: Momempowerment.com

Say goodbye to the control freak within and embrace the freedom and joy that takes it's place.

Warmly,

Michelle