Step Into Your Personal Power – Understanding Cause and Effect

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Cause and Effect

Do you feel as though you are at the mercy of events, and that your chances for success are just the effect of your past history, your circumstances, and what other people will allow you to do? Or do you believe that you are the author, the cause, of your own destiny, that you make your own luck, and that you can make a difference in your life?

Many people put themselves at the ‘Effect’ end of this scale. They feel that their emotions just happen to them, or are caused by other people. There are clues to the way they think in the way the speak; you can hear it in the language they use:

• “She upset me”
• “He made me angry”
• “This gridlocked traffic is really winding me up!”

By thinking this way, they are handing power over how they feel to other people – or even to inanimate objects – rather than taking charge of their feelings and using them to positive effect. They are saying that how they feel, and even what they do, is beyond their control. Is this how you want to be? Put yourself ‘at Cause’ instead. The more you can put yourself at the ‘Cause’ end of things, the more likely you are to achieve your goals.

The Difference Between ‘At Cause’ and ‘At Effect’ Thinking

Someone at Effect:

• Asks “Why?”
• Fixates on the past
• Feels bad about problems

Someone at Cause:

• Asks “How/What?”
• Focuses on the present and future
• Learns from problems

Focus on The Present

When you decide to place yourself at the Cause end of the spectrum, things change. You are more likely to believe in the principle that any problem can be solved, and you focus more on what you want than on what you don’t.

When problems arise, rather than asking “Why is this happening to me?” (a question focusing attention on the past), you ask things like:

• Exactly what is going on here?
• What can I do to change it?
• What is it that I want to happen instead?

These questions place your attention on the present and the future – which is a much more useful focus if you want to change things.

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