The #1 addiction on the planet is the addiction to being in control. ~ Dr. Mary Hulnick

Thanksgiving is a big holiday for us here at Anchor Advisors. We’ve always sent out Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas or New Year’s cards, partly because we wanted to stand out from the end-of-year rush and also because gratitude is a key value of ours.

Our gratitude comes from reflecting on all the ways other people are helping us achieve our goals and all the ways that other people are making our lives better, richer, and more full.

Control is an illusion.

I wish I could do everything on my own. I wish that my determination, focus, and ability to learn and try new things are all I need to succeed in the world, but that just isn’t true.

What’s more true is that there are a million ways in which other people are helping me every day. I’m eternally grateful to the team of people it takes to keep me on track, showing up on time, and working profitably. Carmen, Heather, Shamim, Nathan, and Stacy are all essential to the success of Anchor Advisors.

I’m also so grateful for the hundreds of indirect helping hands. One friend mentions these emails to another friend; a client talks about her experience working with me to another founder, someone I don’t even know creates a community where I’m lucky enough to meet agency owners week after week with questions, roadblocks, and opportunities. Without their direct help, this enterprise would not thrive.

I’m a bit player.

I want to believe that I am responsible for my success and can take credit for my accomplishments. Reality doesn’t bear that out. In fact, I rely on hundreds of helpers, most of whom I’ll never know. I’m a minor character in the story, and I’m very grateful for that.

So this Thursday, whether Thanksgiving is something you celebrate or not, take a minute to let go of the illusion of control and relax into the world that is unfolding around you.