Blindspot!
From Issue: 618 [Read full issue]
Circle of Control
We can't control everything that happens to us. We can't control the colour of our skin, who will win the NBA finals, where we were born, who our parents are, or how others might treat us. But there is one thing we can control: how we respond to what happen to us. And that is what counts! This is why we need to stop worrying about things we can't control and start worrying about things we can.
Picture two circles. The inner circle is our circle of control. It includes things we have control over, such as ourselves, our attitudes, our choices, our response to whatever happens to us. Surrounding the circle of control is the circle of no control. It includes the thousands of things we can't do anything about.
Now, what will happen if we spend our time and energy worrying about things we can't control, like a rude comment, a past mistake, or the weather? You guessed it! We'll feel even more out of control, as if we were victims.
Productive people focus on things they can control. By doing so they experience inner peace and gain more control of their lives. They learn to smile about and live with the many things they can't do anything about. They may not like them, but they know it's no use worrying.
Compiled From:
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" - Sean Covey, p. 54-56