Trying Control Yourself and Others Is Holding Back Your Discipline and Influence

In this episode, I stop trying to “manage” the conversation and let it unfold, because control is exactly what we’re talking about. So many of the symptoms we label as anxiety, stress, or burnout are often downstream of something deeper: the quiet obsession to keep everything under control. I share real examples from parenting, leadership, and my own relationship with substances to show how control tends to create resistance, while influence creates movement. We’ll explore why we can’t even reliably control our own minds, how letting go can paradoxically return power, and a simple parenting shift that works better than pressure. We end with a Dao-inspired metaphor (water and sand) that might change how you hold everything you care about… and a preview of the next conversation: when influence becomes manipulation. 📌 Next Steps If you’re serious about your growth, don’t just watch this. Work with it. 🤝 Private Mentorship Application + details here: ➡️ https://ericsosborne.com 🌿 Psanctuary For spiritual community, teachings, and our broader work: ➡️ https://psanctuary.org 🎧 Podcast Archive Previous episodes and conversations: Not Your Guru https://open.spotify.com/show/3dLRKggqqJrva9Tru4p8Fv?si=81c39a0e186d41a7 The Psanctuary Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/4Bf3MfYDCLduPkDYKOHQ09?si=60e0a1da19bc4920 The Psilocybin Chronicles 1 https://open.spotify.com/show/4zNQ9ropmnTNilxQiDrr0o?si=40190dfa6a0c43ae The Psilocybin Chronicles 2 https://open.spotify.com/show/0ZBK3wxMQRV64pta0RO4sj?si=bba56f83c5e7434f