--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have within us the power to choose how…" description: "\"“We have within us the power to choose how we respond to a hurtful situation. We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control how we will r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/cameron-c-taylor-38795_choice_we-have-within-us-the-power-to-choose-ho_1634814.jpg" --- # We have within us the power to choose how we respond to a… ![“We have within us the power to choose how we respond to a hurtful situation. We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control how we will respond. As we understand our power to choose, we see that we are in control. Our life is not a result of our environment or upbringing, but a result…” quote by Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/cameron-c-taylor-38795_choice_we-have-within-us-the-power-to-choose-ho_1634814.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/cameron-c-taylor-38795_choice_we-have-within-us-the-power-to-choose-ho_1634814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/cameron-c-taylor-38795_choice_we-have-within-us-the-power-to-choose-ho_1634814.jpg) > ““We have within us the power to choose how we respond to a hurtful situation. We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control how we will respond. As we understand our power to choose, we see that we are in control. Our life is not a result of our environment or upbringing, but a result of our choices. We have the ability to determine the kind of life we want to live and the type of person we wish to be.”” [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We control our responses, not others’ actions; personal agency shapes our life direction. **In simple terms:** We choose how to react, which determines our life. Key Takeaway Own your reactions, shape your destiny. Themes agency responsibility mindset Mood inspirational empowering Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal growth - leadership training Key Concepts self‑efficacy choice theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you practice response control? - What choices define your identity? A Different Perspective External factors still influence outcomes; control is not absolute. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [“You have the choice to either pray then plan or pray and wait; but keep in mind miracles are usually accessed somewhere between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/you-have-the-choice-to-either-pray-then-plan-or-pray-and-wait-but/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [“Life is about choices, and you have the ability to choose. You always have had this ability. I suggest that not only do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-tice/life-is-about-choices-and-you-have-the-ability-to-choose-you-always/) Lou TIce > [“You must choose to control anger through a decision.  For if you lose control to anger—then the anger will surely control you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-c-gonzalez/you-must-choose-to-control-anger-through-a-decision-for-if-you-lose/) [D.C. Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-c-gonzalez/) > [Wise choices can put us in control of situations where we might otherwise be tempted to compromise our principles. We cannot control all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/wise-choices-can-put-us-in-control-of-situations-where-we-might/) [L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/) > [I say we put a choice card in every veteran's hands to say, 'You choose.' You control your health care. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jolly/i-say-we-put-a-choice-card-in-every-veteran-s-hands-to-say-you-choose/) [David Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jolly/) > [We cannot choose how many years we will live, but we can choose how much life those years will have. We cannot control the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/we-cannot-choose-how-many-years-we-will-live-but-we-can-choose-how/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“Wouldn't it be ironic if everyone who got a radio up and running just sat around waiting for everyone else to transmit a message?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hamill/wouldn-t-it-be-ironic-if-everyone-who-got-a-radio-up-and-running-just/) [Patricia Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hamill/) > [Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. 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Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [The major job was getting people to understand that they had something within their power that they could use, and it could only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/the-major-job-was-getting-people-to-understand-that-they-had/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [Whether it comes from a despotic sovereign or an elected president, from a murderous general or a beloved leader, I see power as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/whether-it-comes-from-a-despotic-sovereign-or-an-elected-president/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [What you fail to understand is the power of hate. It can fill the heart as surely as love can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-felton/what-you-fail-to-understand-is-the-power-of-hate-it-can-fill-the/) Earl Felton > [The older that I've gotten, I now understand the power of representation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-belair/the-older-that-i-ve-gotten-i-now-understand-the-power-of/) [Bianca Belair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-belair/) ## More by Cameron C. Taylor > [“Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India. At the time of his birth, India had been ruled by the English for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/gandhi-was-born-on-october-2-1869-in-porbandar-india-at-the-time-of/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“There is great power in goals and dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/there-is-great-power-in-goals-and-dreams/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“Some people are like a thermometer. If their environment is negative, they are negative. If bad things happen, they are sad. If good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/some-people-are-like-a-thermometer-if-their-environment-is-negative/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“Living off others is a form of bondage—for if you take from a person his responsibility to care for himself, you also take from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/living-off-others-is-a-form-of-bondage-for-if-you-take-from-a-person/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“Each time we make a choice we are either moving toward freedom and prosperity or bondage and misery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/each-time-we-make-a-choice-we-are-either-moving-toward-freedom-and/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“So often we look for a magic secret or new technique that will produce tremendous returns and results with little or no work. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/so-often-we-look-for-a-magic-secret-or-new-technique-that-will/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“You can write and visualize goals all you want, but if you do not take action, your goals will never become a reality. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/you-can-write-and-visualize-goals-all-you-want-but-if-you-do-not-take/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“Happiness is a choice. Happiness does not depend on outward conditions but on inward decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/happiness-is-a-choice-happiness-does-not-depend-on-outward-conditions/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“What matters more than where you are is the direction you are heading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/what-matters-more-than-where-you-are-is-the-direction-you-are-heading/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) > [“Life is not a competition with others. Life is a competition with yourself—to do your personal best each day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-c-taylor/life-is-not-a-competition-with-others-life-is-a-competition-with/) [Cameron C. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) [Explore all 11 Cameron C. Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-c-taylor/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We have within us the power to choose how we respond to a hurtful situation. 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