In life and business, you'll be served up experiences you'd rather not have. To think you can control everything that comes your way — either through being a good person or positive thinking — is a philosophy of bondage and not at all rooted in reality.
Kind, positive people are diagnosed with cancer every day.
Wholesome, hospitable families lose loved ones far too early every day.
Ethical, generous companies get knocked off every day.
It's not because of some moral failing on their part or because they neglected to send the right vibes out into the universe.
In a sense, this plays out like a chess game. You can't control your opponent's moves, you can only control your own. Your choices incorporate strategy, foresight, skill . . . but the magic is that the responsibility for your moves is 100% yours.
You can allow the experiences that come your way to make you bitter or better, but you can't blame anyone else for how you choose to respond to them. That is all you.
Originally published September 2014
