I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.

1.1 Self-awareness

Think about ourself, our feelings, our moods, even our thoughts etc.

1.2 Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose

1.2.1 Self-awareness

1.2.2 Imagination: the ability to create in our minds beyond our present reality

1.2.3 Consience: a deep inner awareness of right and wrong

1.2.4 Independent will:?the ability to act based on our self-awareness, free of all other influences.

1.3 Proactivity Defined

As human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values. We have the initiative and the responsiblity to make things happen.

Hight risk: 3 months E

Middle risk: work effectively

1.4 Taking the initiative

Recognizing our responsibility to make things happen

1.5 Circle of influence

Focus our efforts in the Circle of Influence: work on the things we can do something about.

"Lord, give me the courage to change the things whic can and ought to be changed, the serenity to accept the things whic cannot be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference."

1.6 Expanding the Circle of Influence

1.7 Change from the inside-out: to be different, and by being different, to effect positive change in what's out there

We are responsible - "responseable" - to control our lives and to powerfully influence our circumstances by working on be, on what we are. If I really want to imporve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control - myself.

1.8 Making and keeping commitments

In the ordinary events of every day: make a promise and keep it; set a goal and work to achieve it.

1.9 We are responsible for our own life.

"The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove."