I consider myself lucky to grow up in the time which I did; in an age where the rise in technology available to us was meteroric. The joy of getting broadband for the first time is still etched in my memory – the speeds of which would seem like a snails pace today. Televisions got bigger and sound systems grew smaller as new appliances seemed to be being rolled out on a weekly basis.
It was hard to keep up with all these new ideas and concepts; it was even harder to keep track of the remotes that came with them. I remember my mum designating a draw, just for the remotes, after she grew tired of hearing my dad whine about his inability to use all his new gadgets. It was a problem I saw many families have. I recollect having this confirmed when I visited a friends house and seeing half a dozen remotes strewn across the house.
And then the solution arrived. The universal remote. Advertised to control everything. The savior to the modern family which owned dozens of these new appliances.
One must ask however, why are they not more popular? The idea of consolidating control into a singular remote was a good one. And I’m pretty sure the idea would’ve taken off – had it actually be worked in practice. It became apparent that the remote was only tuned into certain appliances, and therefore could only control certain pieces of hardware. The rest of it, was not in our control, which I’m sure may have annoyed several families.
This remote situation is not so unlike much of our lives. We try to act like a universal remote when it comes to everyday occurrences concerning us. And just like those families, when it becomes apparent not everything is tuned in, frustration follows. Really and truly, there are only a handful of things we have control over, here’s a diagram to illustrate:
By everything else, I really do mean everything else. The actions of others, all the good and bad that life throws at us, even our own emotions (to an extent) are totally our of our control. So why do we worry? Why do we get the butterflies prior to major events?
Because it’s natural. The involuntary human response to uncertainty is to worry. With uncertainty comes a lack of security, an inability to prepare for the unknown, which can make us feel more vulnerable. Worrying in a weird sense becomes the preparation; although we do not get anywhere by worrying, subconsciously we can feel as if the action does something to help us.
Ironically, when you learn to accept that much is out of out of your control, you gain more of it. The energy you’d spend worrying and fretting is invested into what is actually within your power to change. This can only result in a positive; by giving a greater effort in the ‘controllables’, it’s bound to bring about an increase of your successes. Not only this, but by minimising your anxiety levels, you’ll gain more peace of mind.
You cannot control what life will throw at you, nor can you foresee what’s coming – therefore there aren’t many advantages in worrying about it. You essentially are agonising over things which haven’t even happened, problems which do not even exist, and may not ever materialise for you to deal with. I’m not suggesting one shouldn’t care or think about what will happen, because not even considering the future can be erring on the side of wreckless. But I am saying, don’t worry. There is a huge difference – worrying is a negative process, and really doesn’t get you anywhere.
So next time you have a big test looming, or a presentation to colleagues approaching, try not to worry about the questions in the test, or whether your colleagues will be impressed. That’s not for you to distress yourself over. Worrying gets you nowhere, but action does. Take action. Concentrate on injecting your all into what you’re able to control, and watch your successes rise.