Be Aware

One of the keys to making the play is to be aware of illusions of control. While perceptions of control are real, true control is an illusion. Anything you believe you control is temporary at best and influenced by factors that are going in your favor only out of pure change and fortune. Too many people become frustrated and confused when they confront their lack of control, and this blocks their ability to make plays in the moment. Belief in control always requires conditions and limits, and ultimately it is disappointing and confusing.

The antidote to the illusion of control is trust. Trust that even when you momentarily lose focus, effort, attitude, or peak physical performance, you are still capable of using your influence to make plays. Trust in the power of your influence only requires possibility, and ultimately breeds clarity and freedom.

Understand that the power of thought creates your experience of living, and while it seems like you can control your thinking process, you are really just steering it with the current of the moment, which is made up of countless influences, most of which are certainly outside your control. It’s really like you are paddling a canoe in a river. You have some influence over where you are going, but so does the river.

Trust that when your thoughts aren’t going your way, it’s only a momentary issue. Keep your composure, and trust that your thoughts can and will change and flow in the direction you desire.

Everyone and everything constantly changes through interactions of influence, and it’s a beautiful and miraculous thing that the influences converge as often as they do to keep you alive, capable of your own influence, and making plays consistently.

When you pass the control baton (sometimes you see yourself as having it, sometimes you believe others have it), you give up on your own power and influence too often. Be aware when you are passing the control baton, understand it’s an illusion, and be awake to the bounty of possibilities this moment provides.