Curling with a flat iron

Years ago a friend attempted to teach me to curl my hair with a flat iron. I really liked the result of curling with the flat iron vs. the curling iron. I had the desire to learn! I tried over and over to learn this technique. I even solicited the help of other teachers; maybe someone else's take on the technique would click a little easier in my mind. But alas, I couldn't grasp it! I practiced and practiced but to no avail.
Then this week I had a little extra time, and once again the desire to curl my hair with a flat iron, so I tried. It worked! What changed? Not the movements, but the force of the movements. In the past I had pulled the hair tight from the flat iron because I felt that it would curl more tightly. I was wrong! The tighter I pulled, the more my hair refused to do what I wanted.
The same can be true of life. . . the more we try to force the future, the more we don't get the results we desire. With patience and a soft hand, we can accomplish the very results we desire.