Focus on What You Can Control

by Rex Apollo

Reading the news article made me angry. My favored candidate for president got insulted by some party bigwig. In the US, we have the option of phoning members of Congress.  Since the aforementioned jerk happened to be a Congressman, I decided that I would call them up. Surely my opinion mattered if opportunities existed for people like me to voice their discontent.  

I dialed the number of the Congressman’s office and was not shy in the slightest in expressing my opinion to their staffer. How could such an idiot even work for such a scumbag politician? Giving them a piece of my mind was sure to change theirs and that of their boss.

Much to my chagrin, my phone call did very little to change anyone’s mind. In fact, the party bigwig’s candidate went on to become the nominee of their party and I wasted all that mental energy and time on something I had so little control over.

Imagine if I had spent that time differently. I could have started the Rex Apollo blog on www.sparkgoldenage.com far earlier, gone to the gym or spent time learning a foreign language. Any of those things would have benefited me far more than wasting time and headspace on an angry phone call.

In spending the time on a rant, I focused on things I could not control. While we can try to persuade other people, we cannot control their actions or the decisions they make. The internet gives us the illusion we have far more influence on others than is the case. Modern technology brings knowledge of events that we would never have heard of if we lived 100 years ago and it somehow makes us think that we can influence them. However, the opposite rings true.

The only thing that you have full control over is yourself and the actions that you take.  My former co-worker at a private school once told me, “Focus on what you can control and ignore everything else.” While he was referring to school discipline policies, I believe his advice can be applied to every area of our lives, so focus on improving your life and take action today.

Rex Apollo is the author of How to Spark Your Golden Age: Tips for Success sold on Amazon.

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Just as great civilizations can have Golden Ages, so can you!