by Kim Olver

The first three Keys of Happiness are: self-worth, gratitude, and positive life framing. The fourth Key is:

4. Internal Locus of Control

The
fourth key to happiness is possessing an internal locus of control.
People who have an internal locus of control believe that they are
responsible for their own behavior and its results based on their own
personal decisions and efforts. This is contrasted with those who have
an external locus of control. These individuals believe that their
behavior is determined by external circumstances such as other people,
fate, luck or circumstances beyond their control.

Having an internal locus of control produces a “can do” attitude. An
external locus of control generally results in a helpless attitude.
Even though people with an internal locus of control still have
situations that occur that are beyond their control, they will seek
some action that can be taken by them to improve the situation. They do
not spend time bemoaning the fact that something bad happened to them.
They look for decisive action opportunities to turn things around.

In this way, people are more in charge of their own destiny. They can
reject the role of victim and take definitive action to create greater
life satisfaction.

In my next post, I will discuss the 5th Key: Lifelong Learning.