Locus of control: do you believe you are in charge of what happens to you?

Do you believe you are in charge of what happens to you? Or do you believe that you are the product of your environment, that situations and forces outside of your control are responsible for your individual circumstances? Be honest with yourself here.

Did you know that your answer to that question determines many aspects of your life? This is a concept psychologists refer to as the locus of control. The amazing thing is this: if you believe you are in control of your circumstances, you will be happier, more financially secure, more fulfilled, and ultimately more joyful. Who would not want that?

A locus is the site, place, or center of an activity, event, or condition. So the locus of control is where a person ascribes the control over their circumstances to. It can be either internal or external. A completely internal locus of control corresponds to someone who takes ownership of every single thing that happens to them. Someone else wrecks into their car? They say, “Well, I could’ve been driving more defensively.” They fail a class? They say, “I should have studied harder and more strategically.” An external locus of control is the opposite: one who primarily believes that things simply happen to them. Some distracted driver totaled their car. Some teacher was horrible and they couldn’t learn, or even worse, they simply will never be able to learn, because they are somehow lacking.

The locus of control is not a binary decision, internal or external. The truth is that we all lie somewhere on a spectrum between the two. The truth is there are things that happen to us that are completely outside of our control. However, the truth is also that nearly every single day, we fail to properly handle the things that truly are within our control. We stay up late scrolling on a phone, yet complain there’s no time to attend to our duties. We gossip about friends and coworkers, then lament that the world is unkind. We do not truly apply ourselves in our studies and our work, and then grow jealous of others’ good fortune.

The truth is, we are far more capable and in control of our lives than we give ourselves credit for. We were made in God’s image, to be fruitful. Do you understand how powerful that is? Made in the image of God. I feel this is something we hear and say but never truly spend the time to reflect on, or think about the consequences of. This whole concept ties in to what is known as the serenity prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

I would challenge you today to take honest account of how you view your circumstances, to realize that more than likely, your problems are your fault. It is humbling, yet incredibly empowering. If you are the reason that things go wrong in your life, then you are also the one who can make things go right in your life. This is backed by real science: the psychologist Julian Rotter introduced the idea in 1966, and sixty years of studies since have found that people with a more internal locus of control persist longer, use better strategies and recover faster from setbacks. Take positive ownership to become the best version of yourself you can, to serve God and to serve others.