My 2021 Goal Is To Relinquish What I Can't Control, And I Can't Wait To See How My Journey Unfolds | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

My 2021 Goal Is To Relinquish What I Can't Control, And I Can't Wait To See How My Journey Unfolds

That word is relinquish, a verb, meaning to voluntarily cease or to give up.

26
My 2021 Goal Is To Relinquish What I Can't Control, And I Can't Wait To See How My Journey Unfolds
Photo by Katie Fogarty

It's a new year.

We hear the sayings over and over again, whether it being from advertisements, friends, colleagues, family, or ourselves, whatever it may be:

New year, new me.

"I'm going to completelytransform my life."

"I have ten new year's resolutions. What about you?"

"I'm going to be healthier, sleep more, look prettier, and be on my A game."

A new year symbolizes a new start.

Whatever we did in this past year, we can change. Right? It's a new slate. I can simply erase the slate and start again. Right?

You'd think so, especially for this year: 2021. It's the year the world has been waiting for in anticipation.

Do you remember January and February 2020? In the United States, the world has seemed to be in a downward spiral since March last year.

I want change. I want healing. I want to see the world how I used to see it.

This year, I'm not making any resolutions, promises or commitments.

I have one word that I want the year to center around. A word I want to remember and use to grow.

That word is relinquish, a verb, meaning to voluntarily cease or to give up.

You have sacrificed a lot this year. It has been difficult, no matter your circumstance in life. You have had to adapt and overcome. You may have wept at the impossibility of living in the midst of a pandemic. There has been loss. Hurt. Distress. Grief. Pain.

Needless to say, it's been rough.

I have always been a type A person. I feel the need to control most things in my life. I need to envision how I'm going to get things done with the assurance that they'll be done to the best of my ability. I believe this has been one of my biggest strengths and biggest weaknesses.

I've never really been okay with just letting go and knowing I can't control every circumstance in my life.

Things veer off the road, and sometimes, I don't even needto take the steering wheel. Despite the fright when things get off course, there is beauty in things that I can't control.

There's relief. Joy. Awe. I'm filled with wonder when I realize:

Perhaps I'm simply not supposed to keep a firm grip on every circumstance in my life.

Maybe it's okay to loosen my fingers a little and just see what happens.

What if I accepted the challenges instead of fought them?

Things didn't fall into plan last year. They probably won't in 2021.

What if I started being okay with that?

What if instead of fighting with all of my ability to get the plan back on track, I learned to lean into the outcome and accept it?

When life is out of control, what if I accepted the fact that the controlling aspect of my life wasn't always mine to begin with?

To be cliché, what if what's meant to be will come to pass?

Some people call it fate, chance, a god or gods, whatever it may be.

As a Christian, I've been learning this year to stay focused on the God who is in control rather than the world that is out of control.

My knuckles are still white, clutched firmly at the steering wheel.

So, this year, what if I tried to relinquish that?

I wonder what it would look like if I loosened my grip slowly and finally let go. I wonder what it might look like to finally accept that I cannot control every aspect of my life without feigning control that I don't have, to give up my pride and simply be present rather than being in control.

Robert M. Pirsig wrote in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" that " it''s the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here's where things grow… It's the top that defines the sides."

This year, I'm hoping to lean into unexpected circumstances.

It is in the uncomfortable moments that I've learned I grow the most through.

I want to cherish that.

To do so, I must relinquish control and embrace the moment.

2021, let's do this.




Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

178403
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

5614
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451402
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22695
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments