Power(less).

Monday Mutiny | 7.6.2026

As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve felt pretty fucking powerless the past few months. Many of the changes that I’ve been faced with have largely been out of my control (i.e., required changes not of my choice), and I’ve found myself yearning for stability and any sense of “normalcy” (whatever that is for me; my life has always been so unpredictable that I’m not even sure what’s “normal”).

One example, just last week, while working on the semi-secret project that I can’t divulge more about at this time, I ended up in a situation that very likely could have ended with me losing my life. It was sketchy as hell, and certainly not an ordeal that I’d like to re-create anytime soon. The gist: we were out-manned and most definitely out-gunned — deep in the backwoods on an off-grid property — in an area with little to no cell reception, but a well-known reputation for violent crime, drug trafficking, homicides, and other forms of lawlessness. (Seriously, if you’re going to bury a body, that would be the place to do it. Nobody will ever find it, and even if they do, chances are, they won’t even care. It’s truly fucking wild out there.)

Fortunately, we made it out alive and I’m thankfully sitting back home as I write this while my son sleeps soundly in the other room. And, as much as the situation that I just mentioned above absolutely sucked, it helped me come to the realization about what I really value in life — including my own life — which, not too ago, I didn’t feel had much value at all.

Since returning home, I’ve struggled to make peace with the past few years. I find myself feeling intensely remorseful. The powerlessness that I felt knowing I didn’t have the upper hand in the backwoods is oddly reminiscent of the powerlessness feeling that has consumed me over the past few months. And, if there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s not being in control of my life. But, at the same time, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned — time and time again — it’s that letting go of control is typically what leads to the best outcome. I don’t mean this as in “give up,” I mean it as in “let go and let life unfold.” When the timing is right, good things will happen in your favor if you remain ready and open to possibility.

I know for a fact that if I had tried to take control of the ever-escalating situation in the backwoods by creating more conflict and forcing the individuals to give us what we had come for, the circumstances would have devolved into something reminiscent of the movie “Out of the Furnace.”

I believe a lot of life works the same way . . . The more we try to control, the more we lose control — especially of ourselves.

In my own life, I can think of several instances where trying to force my will upon either the outcome or the other people involved has only made things worse, much worse.

Now, I know I’ve shared the following lines that I wrote back in 2019 several times before, but I continually find myself reflecting back on them as a personal reminder whenever I begin to feel powerless about the outcome(s) that I desire.

Learning to let go and let life unfold has nothing to do with giving up. It simply means, sometimes, instead of figuring it out, you have to wait it out. Feel it don't force it. Patience not pressure. And, most importantly, dignity not desperation.

The older I get, the more I realize that, quite often, the most powerful thing you can do during times of powerlessness is take your power back by resisting the urge to control situations and outcomes. Save your energy for when the opportunity naturally presents itself — then go ALL IN when it does.

Thanks for reading. I hope this helps.

As always, I value your time, support, and attention.

—KC