Introduction

In our daily lives, we focus our attention and resources on many things. However, among these are matters over which we have no control, and expending energy on such things often leads to unnecessary stress.

For examples, dealing with difficult colleagues or neighbors, or feeling frustrated by traffic jams. Getting involved in these situations or unnecessarily entangling ourselves in them can lead to stress and frustration, ultimately resulting in a significant loss of resources.

The Story of King Canute and the Tide

King Canute was a powerful Norse ruler who governed England from 1016 to 1035 and also ruled over Denmark, Norway, and parts of Sweden. During his reign, he was often excessively praised by his courtiers, which made him uncomfortable with the way they flaunted his power. So, he decided to demonstrate to them that human power has its limits.

One day, Canute took his courtiers to the seaside and had his throne placed close to the shoreline. As they watched, he commanded the sea, saying, "I order you, tide, to recede".

However, as expected, the tide did not obey his command and continued to rise. When the water reached his feet, Canute turned to his courtiers and said, "I cannot change the laws of nature. We humans are powerless before God, and no matter how much of a king I am, I cannot resist the forces of nature".

This story of King Canute teaches us an important lesson. It is that we should not waste our efforts on things we cannot control but instead accept reality and focus our energy on what we can control.

Examples from Daily Life

It’s common for us to worry about things we can’t control and unconsciously allocate resources to them. Let’s consider some examples that may occur in our daily lives.

Example 1: A Subordinate Who Doesn’t Follow Instructions

You may have been troubled by a subordinate at work who doesn’t follow your instructions. Even if you give the same instructions repeatedly, it can be frustrating when they don’t act as expected. However, it’s impossible to completely control the behavior of your subordinates. One possible approach to improving the situation is to enhance your communication methods and clearly convey your expectations, which might increase the likelihood of the instructions being followed.

Approach: By explaining to the subordinate why the instructions are important and reaffirming the instructions while respecting their perspective and opinions, you can more easily gain their cooperation. This can reduce the stress of dealing with uncontrollable behavior and allow you to focus on what you can control.

Example 2: A Neighbor Who Doesn’t Follow the Rules

You may have been annoyed by a neighbor who makes noise late at night or leaves trash in shared spaces, breaking the rules. Although you can’t directly control such behavior, it’s important to think calmly about how to respond rather than reacting emotionally.

Approach: Finding practical and actionable solutions, such as attempting direct communication, consulting with the property management company, or using earplugs or music to adjust your environment, is key. Instead of trying to change the neighbor’s behavior, you can reduce stress by implementing the best measures within your control.

Example 3: Traffic Jams

During your morning commute, getting stuck in a traffic jam can be frustrating. However, you can’t control the traffic itself. Since getting angry won’t change the situation, it’s more productive to think of ways to make use of that time.

Approach: You can listen to audiobooks or podcasts during the traffic jam, turning it into a time to gain knowledge or relax. By making meaningful use of the time instead of dwelling on the frustration, you can avoid wasting energy.

Conclusion

The reason I wrote this article is that I often find myself allocating resources to things I can’t control, like I explained above. I recently learned about the story of King Canute and the Tide, and felt it carried an important lesson for us in the modern world, so I wanted to share it.

By focusing our attention and resources on what we can control, we can achieve our goals more effectively and avoid unnecessary stress. Instead of worrying about things we can’t control, accepting the situation and doing our best within our control is the key to a wise way of living.

While this may be difficult for some, I hope this article provides a hint or an opportunity to reflect on the topic.

Thank you for reading!