Differently
Life is messy, beautiful, demanding, and full of moments that can leave us spinning. The hardest part of leading your life? Leading yourself.
This podcast is about doing it differently. It’s about pausing long enough to question the stories running in your head, turning mental chaos into clarity, and creating small shifts that make a big difference in how you show up every day.
Each week, Carla shares real stories, fresh perspectives, and simple tools to help you see your life through a new lens. Think of it as a space to exhale, get honest, and pick up practical ideas you can actually use.
We can’t control everything that comes our way—but we can choose how we move through it. Differently is here to help you do just that.
Episodes drop every Thursday!
Differently
Control Freak?
A deep change in the way that we live requires a deep change in the way that we think—especially when it comes to what we try to control.
When uncertainty creeps in and the ground beneath us feels shaky, our instinct is to grasp for control over external circumstances and other people's behaviors. We believe that if we can just perfect our environment or achieve that next milestone, inner peace will follow. Yet this approach rarely delivers the stability we seek.
Let's explore a different approach. Instead of tightening your grip on what you can't control, redirect your energy toward something within your reach. This small but powerful shift can change everything about how you move through the world.
Enjoy!
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Thank you for listening!
A deep change in the way that we live requires a deep change in the way that we think. I'm Karla Reeves and this is Differently. I was in Pilates last week with a new instructor and she used a word that popped out like neon colors to me. She said Contrology. Have you ever heard of that word? I hadn't. I went home and quickly looked it up, but it's the original name that Joseph Pilates gave this method, long before it was called Pilates. So I looked it up and I knew I wanted to share it with you.
Speaker 1:Contrology means the art of control. The practice was never about random exercise. It was about intentionally, consciously guiding movement with precision, focus and breath. And as I sat there looking at this, I thought about how often I and my clients can slip into being a control freak in our lives. You know the moments. It's when things feel uncertain or fearful, or when the ground beneath us feels a little shaky and we find ourselves wanting to cling or grasp or trying to control anything we can, or when we just want to feel better and we have that illusion and think that if we can just line things up on the outside, just so, if we can achieve that next thing or if we can control or change the people in our life, then we're going to feel better. But that doesn't always go so well. So often, when we try to control the things that are outside of our reach or outside of our domain of responsibility circumstances, other people's behavior and so on it doesn't create the change or traction that we actually want. The word contrology reminded me that control isn't bad. It's just about what we choose to control.
Speaker 1:I want to give you some things to think about. What if, instead of clinging to circumstances or people this week, you cling to the things that are already within your reach and within your domain of responsibility? Just like with contrology and exercise, we can control the precision and the focus and the alignment of our thoughts, our words, our choices in that next moment or relationship or meeting we have today. And with practice we can build a lean and balanced and strong mind and heart to move through the things we're moving through in this life. What if, instead of clinging to those things, we default to? What if, this week, you look to things like your breath, the way you speak to yourself, the thoughts you give weight to, or that you stir and stir and stir in your mind, the posture you take in your body, in your heart and in your mind to approach whatever it is that's on your plate today. Maybe it's controlling whether you pick up that pen and write and get out the swirling negativity in your head. These are the things that truly study us. Is when we go inside and study the things that are within our control that's what actually creates peace and clarity and momentum.
Speaker 1:For me, writing is an even another way of exercising contrology. When life feels wild and I can't control what the world is throwing at me, I can sit down with a page and breathe and choose what to do with my thoughts. That small act changes everything about how I move back into the world. If you're feeling shaky, if you're feeling fearful, instead of gripping tighter on the things you can't control, what if you tried practicing a little contrology in your own way? Maybe it's through mindful movement, maybe it's through writing, maybe it's just pausing to breathe, maybe it's taking more breaks in your day so that you have more energy and focus and intention to bring to what you're doing. Ask yourself, where in my life am I trying to control what isn't mine and what's one place within my reach that I could hold on to. Instead, I would love to hear what comes up for you.
Speaker 1:You can hit that button that says send Carla a message. It's right on your podcast player. Share a takeaway, a thought or even a story from your own life. Thank you so much for being here. It means the world to walk alongside you and bring these ideas to you. And lastly, if you're craving conversation and connection the kind that fuels your life, brings you together with others and helps you stretch outside the mental noise in your head, come join my next free class.
Speaker 1:Each month, we're gathering to write, to have meaningful dialogue and to share tools with you that can make a difference in your life. It's not about adding more noise. It's about creating space in your life to manage your mind. Expand your perspective so that you can align your actions. Save your spot at CarlaReevescom forward slash free class. I'll see you next week. Thank you for tuning into this episode of differently. Hey, if you're ready to stop circling the same thoughts and start creating real momentum, check out my coaching experiences. There's a 12 week experience for a big shift or there's a monthly writing and coaching partnership for ongoing clarity, creativity, alignment and momentum. You can find all the details at Carla Reevescom and if you enjoyed this episode, please help me grow the podcast and leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts and share with someone you love. Until next time, stop surviving your life, start creating it.