Control Yourself, Not the World: A Mystic’s Secret to Fearless Living

As human beings, we carry a deep need for certainty and control. Without them, we feel disoriented and insecure.

For millennia, humanity has sought to master the forces of nature, convinced that by minimizing uncertainty about the future we would feel more secure in the present.

The mystics, however, took the opposite view. It is told of the Baal Shem Tov that he kept no savings. At the close of each day, he instructed his household to give away any remaining money to the poor of his village.

And yet—perhaps because of this—he was utterly fearless. He feared neither man nor the unknown future.

His teaching was simple: the future is mastered only through the present. Just as we can shape the world by mastering our impulses, so too can we transform tomorrow by choosing rightly today.

Too often, we fail because we chase quick fixes instead of addressing the root of the problem. We look outward instead of inward. The insecure seek to control others. The fearful try to intimidate the weak. Those without faith search desperately for substitutes to secure their future.

The path forward lies in living consciously in the present, exercising mastery over our thoughts, speech, and actions. Every person holds this power, at every moment.

The more control we gain over ourselves, the more secure we become—and the less intimidated we are in our dealings with others. Strengthening our faith through right choices in the present places us in a far stronger position to face the uncertainties of the future.

History itself is a partnership between man and G-d, and it is best played without overstepping our bounds.

As the prophet declares: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from G-d.” (Proverbs 21:31)