So much of my mental energy at work can get taken up with the question: How do I look? Do I look competent and capable? Do people think I’m getting my work done?

But when I start trying to get other people on board with my quest for approval–when I need certain things to happen so I look like I’m getting my job done–I forget that controlling people, places, and things was never in my power.

So today, if I’m feeling pressure to make something work and need to get other people on board, I will remember the principle of attraction rather than promotion: I can make information available, but I can’t force anyone to respond a certain way. I will remember the Serenity Prayer and ask for help to see what I can change and what I can’t.