Linda’s Reviews > The Control Freak: Coping with Those Around You. Taming the One Within. > Status Update

At the discovery that you were wrong: try to cover up, shift blame, make excuses, hope no one notices and moves on. All obnoxious. All very very tempting and seem like good ideas in the moment.

The cure for the elusive battle for control (that we won’t win): Live every day with gratitude for what God gives, and operate in grace. Ask for grace, give grace, receive grace, trust in the grace God has already given.

Arthur Somers Roche: “Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

In a time-starved life, complaints about busyness “sound more like pride than protests” because being busy means we’re Important.

Preach it, Oswald. “Fretfulness springs from a determination to get my own way.”

“we Control Freaks have a keen sense of being certain about things we haven’t actually witnessed” is just as good as the Kempton quote, “It’s hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head”.

Didn’t know Erikson (developmental psychologist) coined the term “identity crisis”. Wonder what he would make of the digital revolution generations.

Awareness is curative - just knowing your chronic response to a controlling parent (perfection and obedience, rebellion or numbing) is instructive. Might even be a barrier toward seeing your own strengths or present a false front to others.

A good method of forgiveness- seeing the good that God intended. Joseph was sold into slavery. His brothers begged for forgiveness out of fear of what he could do in a position of power. He told them that they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. This courageous act restored the relationship.

Saying no and setting boundaries isn’t selfish, it’s actually a form of care to both you and the other person. (Per “Boundaries “)