I am an avid Star Trek fan and delight in the practical life lessons that can be learned from the shows. Lately, I have been thinking about the power we allow things we cannot control to have over our lives. I am thinking particularly about a politically charged media article that overwhelmed several people I know to their core. They even called in sick to work the next day!

In The Next Generation, Worf gave some profound advice that has resonated with me for years.

“Thinking about what you cannot control only wastes energy and creates its own enemy.”

Living our own lives is a lot of work! Trying to control a person or situation not under your influence is a waste of energy. We only have so much energy to expend and if we use it all on something out of our control there will be no energy left for those things near and dear to use, things we have an impact on.

Don’t waste your energy on something you cannot control.

Focus on things within your realm of influence.

Take a hard look at your life. What are you expending unnecessary energy on?