I currently have the pleasure of reading a book written by Viktor Frankl titled Man’s search for Meaning. In this harrowing account of his survival of the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II he comes to one very specific conclusion as a result of his ordeal. He summarises it as follows:
“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you.”
Whilst reading this book, not once have I even remotely thought that his statement would be easy to apply, especially in difficult situations. But is being able to control your inner self, your essence, not what separates the successful from the unsuccessful, the good from the great, the haves from the have-nots or simply the happy from the unhappy?
Perhaps we should start focusing on what we can control and what is dear to us instead of looking elsewhere for our happiness.
Work on your locus of control and always remember the words from Nietzsche: “He, who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.”
Control the controllable. Choose to be the best version of you!
