What Is Genuine Control?

-- Genuine control is not something lost or gained according
to what someone else says, does, or thinks. It is within me, in
abundance, at all times. 
 
-- Genuine control is not about trying to make people like or
love me. It's about liking and loving myself and allowing my
inner beauty to shine through.
 
-- Genuine control is not something that comes from
manipulating the external environment - other people, events,
and circumstances. It comes from changing my internal
environment - how I perceive and act. 
 
-- Genuine control does not result in feelings of powerlessness, 
anxiety, and self-doubt. It results in feelings of empowerment, 
contentment, and increased self-esteem.
 
-- Genuine control does not drag me down. It lifts me up.
 
-- Genuine control does not come and go depending on how
I'm feeling at the moment. It is within me at all times, even if
I choose not to realize it or use it. 
 
-- Genuine control does not mean attempting to make others
do things my way and think the way I want them to think. It
means making my own choices and thinking for myself.  
 
-- Genuine control does not mean looking outside of myself
to determine who I am. It means looking within myself and
appreciating who I am.
 
-- Genuine control does not mean single-handedly transforming
economies, business climates, and political realities. It
means transforming my internal reality (myself), which in
turn positively affects the whole.
 
-- Genuine control is not about predicting the future - my
grades, my income, my relationships, or a thousand other
things. It's knowing that whatever happens I can choose
how to perceive and react to life's events. 
 
-- Genuine control does not mean trying to change someone 
else's feelings. It means that each person's feelings are his
or hers alone, just as my feelings are mine alone.
 
-- Genuine control does not mean never making mistakes.
It means understanding that making mistakes (and learning
from them!) is essential to my success.
 
-- Genuine control is not about feeling the need to change
other peoples' preferences and opinions. It means developing
and respecting my own.
 
-- Genuine control does not mean attempting the impossible
and feeling disappointed that I did not achieve it. It means
attempting the possible and congratulating myself on each
small success I achieve. 
 
-- Genuine control does not mean telling others how to spend
their time. It means choosing how I spend my time.
  
-- Genuine control does not mean other people, events, and
situations determine my feelings, thoughts, and actions. It
means that I choose how to feel, think, and act. 
 
-- Genuine control is not about trying to stop the rain, the
snow, or the sunshine. It's about making rainbows, 
snowmen, and sand castles. 

About Deanne

Deanne Repich - Founder and director of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., is an internationally renowned anxiety educator, teacher, author, and former sufferer who has helped tens of thousands of anxiety sufferers in more than 40 countries to reclaim their lives from anxiety, stress, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, anxiety attacks and social anxiety.

She is the creator of the Conquer Anxiety Success Program, author of more than one hundred articles, and publisher of the Anxiety-Free Living printed Newsletter for anxiety sufferers. She is a Member of Mental Health America and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.