powerless

help me stop flicking the light switch

in a blackout

and let the universe be in charge

The other day they were replacing power lines on my street. I was working at home, and I was without electricity for the whole day. Powerless. No computer. No laundry. No cordless phone. Lit the stove with a match. Wrote longhand. Walked the dog in the middle of the day. 

Felt free. 

In this case my powerlessness was obvious. But there are plenty of other times when it takes me a while to realize it. Like when I'm trying to solve a problem again and again in a way that isn't working. Or trying to change another person's behavior. Or letting a thought or feeling get the best of me. In those cases accepting powerlessness means giving myself permission to stop. Just stop. Stop trying to control, fix, think, rethink, do, redo what can't be fixed, controlled, done by me alone. I say "enough"... "when"... "I'm done." And I do something more productive. Read a book. Journal. Take a walk. Breathe. Powerlessness gives me space to start over, to detach, to get out of a rut, change my perspective, get free. I embrace the blessing of powerlessness.