Chapter Three
Your Mind
Out of Your Control and You Can Influence
Each one of the following parts of your mind:
- PERSONALITY
- INTELLECT
- EMOTIONS
- GENERAL DISPOSITION
is:
- partially determined PRIOR to birth - which is totally out of your control
and
- partially determined AFTER you're born - some of which is out of your control
and
Of the parts that develop AFTER you're born:
A portion of what affects your mind is out of your control, such as:
- The family you join and the type of childhood you experience
- Who raises you (i.e., guardian, parents...), their marital status, attitudes, and style of managing the household
- How many siblings you have and your place in the birth order
- Your family's financial situation
- Where you grow up and how often you move
- Predispositions to physical or emotional challenges
- Some of the opportunities available to you
- Some of the people and situations you encounter
A portion of what affects your mind you can influence, such as:
- How much enthusiasm, effort and self-discipline you apply to the different aspects of your life
- The level of responsibility you accept for your life and your decisions
- Your attitude toward situations and experiences you encounter
- Many of the types of situations you're involved in
The factors that are out of your control strongly influence the development of your attitude. However, if you want to, you can change that attitude to a more constructive one. This will, in turn, improve the quality of your life. That's what this book can help you do.
Regardless of the influences of your childhood - role models and experiences - you can develop a beneficial perspective that allows you to recognize and effectively use the influence you have over the situations you experience in your life.