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The answer to control is practicing surrender. Trying to maintain control in this life is a bit like trying to
maintain control on a roller coaster. The ride has its own logic and is going
to go its own way, regardless of how tightly you grip the bar. There is a
thrill and a power in simply surrendering to the ride and fully feeling the
ups and downs of it, letting the curves take you rather than fighting them.
When you fight the ride, resisting what's happening at every turn, your whole
being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion. When you go with the
ride, accepting what you cannot control, freedom and joy will inevitably
arise. As with so many seemingly simple things in life, it is not always easy to let
go, even of the things we know we can't control. Most of us feel a great
discomfort with the givens of this life, one of which is the fact that much
of the time we have no control over what happens. Sometimes this awareness
comes only when we have a stark encounter with this fact, and all our
attempts to be in control are revealed to be unnecessary burdens. We can also
cultivate this awareness in ourselves gently, by simply making surrender a
daily practice. At the end of our meditation, we might bow, saying, "I
surrender to this life." This simple mantra can be repeated as necessary
throughout the day, when we find ourselves metaphorically gripping the safety
bar.
We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great
mystery with courage. When we see people on a roller coaster, we see that
there are those with their faces tight with fear and then there are those
that smile broadly, with their hands in the air, carried through the ride on
a wave of freedom and joy. This powerful image reminds us that often the only
control we have is choosing how we are going to respond to the ride.
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