How Much Control Do We Really Have
In a world which seems to require more and more attention thanks to technological inventions which keep us connected and aware of things happening 24/7 and newscasts which let us know world events both good and bad almost immediately after they happen, it can feel as through we are either in or out of control in our lives.
Control is a very interesting phenomena. Often I talk to clients as well as my students about the locus of evaluation or control. This basically is about whether we feel that we control events or are we controlled by them. People who tend to believe that they are in control tend to be more healthy and happy in a mental health perspective. However, we could do with looking at how much specific control we have over our lives.
In reality, we have very little control over external events. We do not really have control over the actions and behaviours of others. Which if looked at coldly, one could say that we do not have very much control. However, the good news is that we have the ability to control the way we respond to these events, which gives us a level of control which cannot be taken away from us.
As my friend and colleague Fiona Biddle has said, “I may not be able to control everything, but I can manage anything”. Words to live by in my opinion.
