Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

November 5, 2018

Maturity is being able to let go of outcomes.

When we are young, we are extremely attached to specific outcomes.  Children often break into tantrums or tears because they hold a strong desire for a specific outcome.  It would be nice if this automatically changed with age.  Unfortunately, age and maturity do not always go hand in hand and plenty of adults continue to have “tantrums.”  With maturity, we accept that there are multiple possible outcomes.  With maturity, we learn that what we want is not always best for us.  With maturity, we learn that outcomes we did not desire can offer us positive gifts.  The maturity that comes with true recovery makes it easier for us to let go of outcomes.

When have I held tightly to a desired outcome?  How did this impact me and others?  When have I received something positive from an “undesirable” outcome?  What gifts await me as I mature in recovery and learn to let go of outcomes?