Doesn’t it seem like the world is just plain crazy these days? Should we attribute it to the 24-hour news cycle? The constant interconnectivity of human beings through social media? Perhaps it is just increased awareness associated with a coming of age. Whatever the cause, the world seems to spin faster and faster, pushing us along a path towards uncertainty and potential danger.

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control…” Epictetus, Discourses

In uncertain times, it is useful to consider what you can influence or control and do your best to reduce the anxiety associated with the things you can’t. As a young commander in Afghanistan a decade ago, studying Hal Moore’s leadership insights

helped guide me through the most challenging situations where many decisions carried life and death consequences. I couldn’t control my adversary. I couldn’t control policy and rules of engagement restrictions. I couldn’t control the weather and its effect on air coverage. In a firefight, I learned to control my own reaction, to stay calm and collected, and to encourage others to act. My leadership never won the day (always accomplished by the valor of a private or sergeant under fire), but I am confident that it had a positive effect on my company and encouraged Soldiers to act.

So what are the things you actually control today? For many of us, this weekend is the end of holiday downtime, returning to the grind of work, training, and deployments. The majority of us do not influence where and when we are employed this year. We don’t create policy and, as always, our adversaries get a vote.

Instead of stressing over these uncertainties, I plan to spend the next two days focusing on my family, my friends, and myself. I can’t control the world, but I can control how I react to it. I can control how I interact with other people in challenging situations, and how I respond in the face of adversity. Just like when I was a company commander in combat, I know that my actions can influence the organization and the outcomes we pursue.

I urge you to do the same and come prepared to face the challenges the world brings our way on Monday.