Take Back Control of Your Fate

In The Book of Joy, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu poke fun at our tendency to create suffering for ourselves. "Why be unhappy about something if it can be remedied (you have power to change it)? "And what is the use of being unhappy if it cannot be remedied (it's not in your power to change)? When people and situations show up in life in ways we don't want or expect, we can forgive (the person or the situation) by accepting that we don't have control over what others think and do. The Dalai Lama also suggests taking a "larger perspective" by stepping back within our own mind to look at the bigger picture and move beyond our limited self-awareness and our self-interest. We can look at the person and situation from all different angles which allows us to take a more complete view of reality. If we can do this, our response will be more constructive because rather than reacting with fear and anger, we can choose a more productive and positive way to "remedy" the situation. In this we way take back control over our own fate and feelings; and we become our own liberator.