The illusion of control is a funny thing. Many of us convince ourselves that we can effectively control the circumstances or the people in our life. While it is true that our choices certainly influence and contribute to our experiences, attempting to convince another to behave/believe according to our beliefs is exhausting and ultimately futile. The cold hard truth is you cannot force your will, your beliefs, and your values onto another. Oh sure, you may be able to achieve compliance but never true conversion. A friend of mine once said that people are either a good example or a horrible warning. Either way, we all get to choose how we behave. The best way to effect change is by living authentically.

As my story in the Forest was being written, I finally learned how to let go. To acknowledge and accept myself, others, and circumstances as they are rather than how I want them to be.

For the first time in my life I built without plans. Certainly each design started with an idea, but once the process began instead of creating what I had envisioned, I was able to relax control and allow the project to become what it was meant to be.

As I continued to have the same experience with each new creation, I began to understand something important. Time in this life is not about becoming what I think I should be, what someone tells me I should be, or working to hide my flaws and imperfections from the world.

I believe that this life is a process of discovering how to become what we’re meant to be. Acknowledging the scars and imperfections while embracing the talents, light, and beauty. In the end, the result will be perfectly imperfect. Precisely what we’re meant to be.