Lately, external forces conspire to manage my life. Other people’s agendas supersede my plans, snarled traffic, and miss communications slow my progress. Malfunctioning appliances waste precious time, and projects budgeted for five or ten minutes end up consuming my entire day. I wonder if I am fighting a losing battle. I seem to confront a brick wall, no matter which way I turn. I could continue to bang my head against that dense and immovable obstacle, or I can search for the key that will allow me to break free.

Walking amid chaos is stressful, but trying to resolve what we cannot control often makes matters worse. As difficult as it might be, sometimes the best course of action is to circumvent our thought patterns and accept the current circumstance, then let it go. Giving up doesn’t mean we like, condone, or approve of the situation – it just means…