";Items to Maintain Your Personal Control Over:"

Powerful Aspects Within Your Reach: 75 Items You Have Influence Over

In the pursuit of a fulfilling and compassionate life, it's essential to focus on the aspects that we can control. Lori Deschene, the founder of TinyBuddha.com, shares this insight in her thoughtful book "Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life's Hard Questions."

The individual is encouraged to create their own list of things they can control, with no limit on the number of items. Here are some examples to get you started:

Personal Responsibility - Whether I take responsibility for the things I'm responsible for. - Whether I seek professional help when needed. - How honest I am. - How I soothe myself. - How I handle my anger. - Whether I yell. - How I treat my body. - How I practice self-care. - How I forgive myself. - What I do with my regrets. - How I deal with my self-doubt. - How I react to others. - How patient I am. - How I talk to myself. - How I handle my racing thoughts. - How I cope with my anxiety. - How I channel my grief. - How I express my gratitude. - How I handle my sadness. - How I find beauty in the mundane.

Daily Habits and Routines - Whether I create a morning and evening routine, and what each one looks like. - How I structure my day. - When, where, and how I say "no." - When, where, and how I say "yes." - How often I brush and floss my teeth. - How much inspiration I let into my life. - What I wear. - How much I play. - How much time I spend with my loved ones. - How often I call my loved ones. - How much I hug my husband. - How I honor loved ones who've passed away. - What I learn from my missteps, mistakes, missed opportunities, bad decisions, tough times. - Whether I savor what I eat. - Whether I buy into the idea that wine (or any alcoholic beverage) is a reward I've earned or a fantastic way to relax and drown out the stresses of the day.

Relationships and Communication - How kind I am to others. - The people I surround myself with. - The people I turn to for help. - Whether I communicate my needs. - Whether I put myself in someone else's position and perspective. - Whether I find beauty in the things that seem to have none. - What I do with my envy. - How I love others. - Whether I look into my husband's eyes. - Whether I sing to my daughter.

Boundaries and Self-Care - The boundaries I set. - How I respond to my needs. - Whether I declutter and get rid of allllll the things I don't love or need. - What I do with my dreams, intentions, and fears. - Whether I buy diet books and cookbooks that focus on rules, regulations, restrictions, and numbers, and make me feel terrible about myself. - Whether I explore my dreams, intentions, and fears. - What I watch: the types of shows and movies and news coverage. - The art I create. - The music I listen to. - The words I write. - The people I follow, the websites I visit, the blogs I read. - How much I play.

The list should be specific to the individual's life, and it can be kept visible or in a notebook for regular reference. Remember, you have the power to control the things you can, regardless of the circumstances you face.