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I’m currently sitting here with numerous zits on my face (I stopped using anything on my skin other than water) and a few pounds heavier than I was a month ago (I also stopped going to the gym and eating well). I feel sort of down that I look pretty awful, but more importantly, these two issues represent entirely different kinds of problems in my life: those that I have a hand in and those that I don’t have any control over.
Now, I suppose that I could go out and purchase some cleanser or lotion that is meant for acne-prone skin, but I recently got tired of using so much on my skin and opted to use nothing except for water. I may have a hand in this, but the fact that my skin is broken out is something that I can’t control. I can’t change the fact that my genes leave me with a hereditary-inclination to get acne from time to time.
On the other hand, my weight gain is entirely in my own hands. I can’t blame anything or anybody but myself. Sure, my genes may have a hand to play in this, but it mostly comes down to my own actions. I am definitely guilty of not always eating the best foods, as the empty pint of Ben & Jerry’s in my garbage can could attest to.
Both of these problems in my life are substantial to me, but they are different types of problems. I can’t control that my skin has decided to break out or the fact that my lineage has given me an inclination to breaking out. I can worry about the fact that my skin currently looks like that of a prepubescent kid (note: I’m 23, not 12), but there is no point in worrying about this. I can’t change the fact that my skin is breaking out. I can change the way I eat, however, and start practicing good habits like working out.
What I’m trying to get at is this: worrying about certain things is fine, if it is something that is within our own control or something that we could change ourselves. But worry is often used on issues out of our control, like the fact that a friend isn’t returning your calls or, in my case, the fact that my skin is broken out. Often times, this worry just makes the situation worse and sometimes even leads us to act recklessly or do things that we wouldn’t do otherwise. Today I’m going to work on accepting that some things are just outside of my control, and thus they are not things that I need to worry about.
