Step One - Control “We run about attempting to control others and situations in an effort to avoid our own unmanageable lives.” BRB Pg. 104 The need to try to control the people in our lives can be so strong. We may have this idea about how things “should” be. If only life were a certain way, we could feel good about ourselves. So we feel compelled to make the “should” a reality. We push and prod and manipulate to get people to do what we want, completely missing the fact that we have to clean up our own house. The harder we push, the crazier we feel because others never quite measure up to our ideals. Step One helps us realize that control over others is a myth; even though things may change as a result of our efforts, we leave a lot of wreckage in our wake. Until we realize our powerlessness, until we realize the only one we can truly change is ourself, we will continue on this downwards spiral, often driving the ones we care about from our lives. On this day I will remember to focus on myself and the changes I need to make in my own life. I will leave the others in my life to find their own path, even if it isn’t the one I would choose for them
