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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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