Day to Day happenings in my life

Power

Written for Journalistic Intentions ”It's the power that gives you the strength to survive."

According to Lao Tzu “Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” So is being the master of yourself the power you need to help you carry on when life turns on you? You know, those times when all seems hopeless and you may not be able to find a reason to keep breathing.

On reflection I believe it to be true. (It’s not beer after all, Robert Waltz.) if you aren’t able to master or control your emotions or reactions in times of trouble all is lost.

I had written a poem about family being my power:

Family is my power, my reason to survive.
Without them I’d have no wish to stay.
They’re the ones who fuel my will to stay alive.
I watch their lives, have news of them each day.

It’s different now to how it used to be,
Back when they all relied on me,
To have the answers to their situations.
Ask Mama, she’ll give advice with good intentions.

My children now have children of their own,
Who go to them for sage advice.
But hopefully the way I’ve shown,
And that for me is quite suffice.

I had been giving this prompt some thought over the last week. I had thought it was my family that is the force that kept me going, but over the last few days I’ve come to realise they don’t need me anymore. I’m not suggesting they don’t care or love me in their different ways, but they are busy with their own lives and families. Some live far away and although they call regularly to check in, so to speak, I think it’s just another chore to tick off their to do list.

So I need to be master of my own destiny, master my feelings, master my need to be needed. To learn how to simply be.

What do I actually need to survive? I need the love of my husband, which I have. I need a reason to get out of bed each day, I get that from my daily habit of a walk before breakfast with the dog. A few good friends and activities, again which I have. And I need to harness that power of controlling my mind against those feelings or thoughts which creep in and whisper that without my large family to take care of life is meaningless.