Seeing Ourselves As Powerful People

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You don’t see the world as it is, but as you are?”  We are never able to objectively make a 100% accurate statement about life, relationships, or anything for that matter because our perspective is always colored by our experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and so on.  However, that’s not an excuse to simply let things go and to give up.  

Internal Vs. External Locus of Control

We’d like to introduce you to a term called “Locus of Control.”  It’s a fancy psychological term that describes our ability to see ourselves as powerful agents in our own lives.  Locus of Control is viewed as a spectrum ranging from “External” on one end and “Internal” on the other.  Those with an External locus of control have an inherent attitude that life happens to them, things are beyond their control, and life or some other source of power (bosses for example) either reward or punish them for reasons outside of one’s sphere of influence.  An Internal locus of control is just the opposite.  Those who practice this mindset have an attitude centering around their own beliefs, choices, and abilities to influence the outcome of their own life.  Their rewards, or lack thereof, is in their own hands and they are the central author in determining what comes next.

People with an external locus of control can be easy-going and lead happy, relaxed lives as they easily accept the way things are.  Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to have jobs with higher pay as they are often more achievement oriented and driven.  Either way, developing traits such as competence, self-efficacy, and responsibility will ensure that you make the most of your opportunities.  Generally, a psychologically healthy person sees themselves as the one who has the ability to exert power and influence over certain areas of their lives which mainly outline their personal responsibilities.

However, it’s difficult to balance that with knowing which things are beyond our control.  We may not get that promotion because someone else was ahead of us or got a better review from a particular project.  We may not be able to “cure” our depression, although we can help reduce it’s severity.  We may not be able to immediately change our living situation, but we can start saving money and making baby steps towards a positive change.

As we said in our last post, here at PTI, we believe that we are all inherently powerful people with the ability to lead healthy, productive, and meaningful lives.  Sometimes life gets us down.  There’s circumstances beyond our control which can include temporary life situations or permanent things such as mental illness.  Regardless, we want to say loud and clear, “You can have a meaningful week, month, or year.”

We’re here to help, serve, encourage, support, partner with, and provide treatment for just about every type of mental illness.  We acknowledge that mental illness often carries a stigma and we’re aware of how institutions and clinics can de-personalize the treatment process.  Our very foundation is built on principles of putting people first and treating them right.  On top of that foundation, we’ve built a facility that embraces up to date methodologies and research, technological advances within the field, and a professional staff that is willing to embrace the practice of “people first.”  If you need help, please don’t hesitate to call us today.