As you can see, the image consists of 3 concentric circles.  One outer circle, a middle circle, and an inner circle.   

Let’s start with the outer circle.  This circle contains things we have no zero influence or control over.  This circle is the biggest because most of the events that happen in the world we have zero control over. They were going to happen whether or not we were here.   

Things like the weather, the traffic, or a war in another country.  

The middle circle contains things that we can influence but don’t necessarily have complete control over.  

You can influence things like your body composition, how your spouse feels, and your interactions with others. Typically, things in this circle revolve around relationships and interactions with other people. We have influence, but not necessarily complete control.  

Finally, the innermost circle and the most important circle revolves around one thing.

YOU!

This is your circle, the circle where you have complete control.   

This circle encompasses things like how you decide to spend your time, what you put in your mouth, how much you decide to exercise, what time you decide to go to bed at night, or when you turn off your computer in the evening. 

You make the decisions here, no one else does.  

So, the natural question is, “Where are you spending your time and energy?”

Are you spending lots of time in the outermost circle worrying about events outside of your control? 

Are you spending much of your energy worrying about things you can only influence, like what the scale says or what others think of you?

Or, are you spending all your time focusing and prioritizing the things you can control, YOU! 

Successful people focus the large majority of their energy on the innermost circle.  They spend some time in the influencer circle and virtually zero time worrying about the outermost circle (no control).  This is why they are successful.  They focus on the things that they have the most control over and let the rest go.  

Now that makes for a peaceful life.  

When you are anxious or worried this week about something ask yourself, “Is this in my control, something I can influence, or out of my control completely” and then act accordingly.  

If it’s in your control, change it. 

If it’s in your influence choose to do something or choose not to. 

If it’s out of your control take a deep breath and let it go. Unfortunately, you don’t get to decide if it rains, but you get to decide how you react to it.