Sometimes our biggest challenges face us when we're at our most vulnerable, when we're forgetting to trust in ourselves and plug into the energy that buoys us up. That's when it's tempting to give in to that selfish part of ourselves that wants to be taken notice of and made to feel more important than anything else right now.

It's the part of you that throws toys out of the pram when things don't go your way, or you become hooked into the beguiling net of self-importance, or when you take insult from what people say to you, or you feel angry, or hurt, or betrayed.

Just like any other challenge that that you have to deal with, knowing yourself well is the key to stepping back from being controlled by your limited thoughts and feelings. After all, no-one makes you feel angry, or mistrustful, or hurt. No-one has the power to do that. The responsibility for those feelings lies within yourself because you have the choice how to act and react. You can choose whether to accept all people as they are and acknowledge the good intentions they have, or be unhappy, hurt and mistrustful.

It's a very human need, to feel important and in control. It's childlike; it's something you learn when you're growing up and you understand that in order to make your mark, you have to speak up and ask for what you want. It isn't until years later that you learn that you can do all these things without having to take centre stage.

Once you learn to let go of that need to satisfy your ego’s needs, you begin to understand what it is to benefit other people rather than yourself with no thought of return or reward. You learn that by opening up your heart and being receptive to what the world brings, you can be more in tune with the energy of life. You remove the shield that protects you.

And once you really allow yourself to connect to the full harmony of life, you can let go of the fear of your own mortality; you can accept death as the natural progression of life on earth. Death is the ultimate adventure, and to spend your life fearing its approach is to rob yourself of every single second that you have. Just think of those three billion heartbeats. Why waste any of them worrying about something that you have no control over?

So lose control. Live now, right here, in this moment. And live from your heart. That’s the beauty of life.

Neel Raman
http://www.HoopsAndFreedom.com