It is often difficult to look closely at ourselves and see how our actions can create the very unpleasant situations that we find ourselves facing. It is always easier to believe that someone or some “higher being” has had a hand in directing our lives.

This way of thinking shifts the blame away from ourselves and often leads us astray, leaving us feeling helpless to change things for the better. What, then, is the truth? Do we have more control of our lives than is suggested by popular belief...