Control paradox

Humans seek safety, status, and affiliation; they want to be heard and understood; they want to be missed when they are gone; they want connection and validation.

Ironically, the more we work to manipulate and control the people around us, the less we are to achieve what we seek. Instead of laying the groundwork for relationships to grow, we create the conditions we fear the most: distance, isolation, and disconnection.

A conductor doesn’t play every instrument. She leads and keeps a beat for everyone else to follow.

In other words, the harder you push, the harder they pull.