We can’t control a lot of things in our lives – who our parents are, where or when we were born, war, economic depression, accidents, natural disasters, the current pandemic and a lot more. While we may not have the power to influence these events, we do have the ability to choose how we respond and what we learn from them. That is the ultimate power to have. It is the foundation of Victor Frankl’s research documented in his book, Man’s Search For Meaning.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

I have found internalizing this idea to give a lasting sense of control and peace in the most chaotic circumstances.

Our circumstances do not define our identity. We do, with the way we choose to respond.