Let’s face it, the world we live in is kind of scary. I’ve tried to stay away from the news stream because the amount of fear-inducing storylines heavily outweigh the positive happy-inducing storylines. 

Now I’m not going to lay out my opinions on what’s going on in the world, but there are a few things I’ll casually mention. 

It’s becoming more and more evident that global corporations and people in power are blatantly making life expensive and difficult for regular Janes and Joes. We are gaudily lied to our faces and told not to be believe our own eyes and ears in the most brutal example of gaslighting in history. 

Now, I believe good always wins, but to say I’ve been a little crestfallen lately would’ve been an insurmountable understatement. 

 The headlines have made me miserable. The gas prices have made me clutch my wallet. 

It all came to a head when my fiancee mentioned I’ve been “the most negative self proclaimed positive person in the world” or something to that degree.  Immediately I responded in a heavy defensive tone, which based on the work I’ve done and tried to preach here, is because I know she’s right and I’m ashamed. 

When it all boils down, I have to realize that I cannot control any of those aspects that are causing me distress. I can’t control gas prices. I can’t control the wars. I can’t control the economy. But there are a lot of things that I CAN control. 

I can’t control gas prices, but I can cut back on non-essential trips. I can’t control the wars, but I can use my voice to spread peace. I can’t control the economy but I can hustle to bring in more income. 

Essentially, there are a lot of areas of my life I’d like to improve upon, and I should only focus on areas within my control. 

Personally, I’ve also been bummed out about a couple of gigs being cancelled. It really sucks, but it’s done. I can stay as positive as the magnetic north pole, but I am not the one deciding if the show will come back. What I can do however, is hustle and start seeking out gigs to cover the ones I’ve missed. So that’s what I’ve done. (Side note; follow my Music page on Facebook to see upcoming dates).

I’ve taken the steps to start tackling my credit card debts, I’ve made myself a comprehensive workout plan, and I’ve studied diets and nutrition to know what to see avoid and what to enjoy freely. Those were all things within my control, and I just had to take action. 

Whatever is causing you to spiral into stress and worry can be reasonably resolved if you break it down into steps. The first step is to ask yourself if this is something you control. If the answer is yes, then the next question is how. If the answer is no, then you have to let it go. 

It might be financial, it might be social, and it might be psychological. Maybe you can no longer afford your truck payments. Maybe you were blindsided by your partner and they broke up with you. Maybe you feel so depressed you can’t get out of bed. 

If you can’t afford your truck payments, I ask you is that something you can control? The answer is yes. How? There are many ways. You can trade your truck in for something more affordable, you can refinance your payments to get a lower payment, or you could look at cutting down other expenses to make it easier to afford your payments. 

If you were blindsided in a break up, can you control that? Nope. It wasn’t your decision. You have to let it go, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up. A break-up is a great time to improve yourself. Take an inventory on what went wrong, and maybe reinvent yourself. Who knows, maybe the new you will bring the person back into your life, or you’ll improve yourself and find somebody who is really perfect for you. 

If you are depressed and can’t get out of bed is that something you can control? Yes. How? You can get help from a mental health professional. You can start seeking out real life antidepressants such as exercise and sunlight. Luckily, we know so much more about mental health these days, and we know how to help get your mind healthier. Even a quick Google search is enough to get you started. 

There’s a reason that the serenity prayer states (in short form) the following;

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.”

I can’t control myself when I consume alcohol, but what I can control is myself from ever having it. That’s where my power is. 

I also can’t control how much success I have playing music or writing this blog. I can only control my end of the bargain. If the masses want to hear me or read my work, then I’ll be more successful, all I know is I control how good the product is that I put out!