--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I wanted to influence their behavior…" description: "\"“If I wanted to influence their behavior, it had to be through my own. The only real control I had was the choice of my own words and actions, includin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/judith-hanson-lasater-12396_habits_if-i-wanted-to-influence-their-behavior_1774928.jpg" --- # If I wanted to influence their behavior, it had to be… ![“If I wanted to influence their behavior, it had to be through my own. The only real control I had was the choice of my own words and actions, including being clear about my expectations and needs.” quote by Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/judith-hanson-lasater-12396_habits_if-i-wanted-to-influence-their-behavior_1774928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/judith-hanson-lasater-12396_habits_if-i-wanted-to-influence-their-behavior_1774928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/judith-hanson-lasater-12396_habits_if-i-wanted-to-influence-their-behavior_1774928.jpg) > ““If I wanted to influence their behavior, it had to be through my own. The only real control I had was the choice of my own words and actions, including being clear about my expectations and needs.”” [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Influence comes from modeling behavior, clear communication, and expressing needs directly. **In simple terms:** Control others by controlling yourself and speaking clearly. Key Takeaway Speak and act with clarity to guide others. Themes communication personal growth relationships Mood thoughtful assertive Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - team leadership - parenting - therapy sessions - conflict resolution Key Concepts behavior modeling expectation setting self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure your expectations are understood? - What personal habits support clear communication? A Different Perspective May be limited if others resist or misinterpret your signals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Words and actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-and-actions/) ## Related quotes > [If you keep the situations real, the characters' behavior will be real and honest, too. If they're suddenly robbing a bank and exchanging snappy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-holofcener/if-you-keep-the-situations-real-the-characters-behavior-will-be-real/) [Nicole Holofcener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-holofcener/) > [Behavior is the real certificate. 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Nothing more and nothing less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-was-all-a-matter-of-control-and-choice-nothing-more-and-nothing/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Life imposes things on you that you can't control, but you still have the choice of how you're going to live through this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/life-imposes-things-on-you-that-you-can-t-control-but-you-still-have/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [“We are all the same instincts-- Good and Evil struggled between us. It was all a matter of control. And choice. Nothing more and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-all-the-same-instincts-good-and-evil-struggled-between-us-it/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“I couldn't make a choice between chaos and control. Not because it had been made for me. But because there was no choice to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-davies/i-couldn-t-make-a-choice-between-chaos-and-control-not-because-it-had/) [Jocelyn Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-davies/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by Judith Hanson Lasater > [“... the only thing I was to do while living was to love everyone. That, she let me know, is the purpose of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hanson-lasater/the-only-thing-i-was-to-do-while-living-was-to-love-everyone-that-she/) [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) > [“Am I suggesting that we no longer try to achieve our goals? Absolutely not. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hanson-lasater/you-can-t-make-yourself-be-compassionate-you-can-only-keep-stepping/) [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) > [“Now, well beyond my teens, I feel that there is no such thing as wasted love. Any love that we experience holds great power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hanson-lasater/now-well-beyond-my-teens-i-feel-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-wasted/) [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) > [“I suggest that, before speaking or taking some other action, you first ask yourself these questions: Is it necessary? Is it true? 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I don't know why we're doing them unless our lives are shaped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hanson-lasater/why-are-we-doing-all-these-handstands-backbends-and-arm-balances-i/) [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) [Explore all 55 Judith Hanson Lasater quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. 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Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If I wanted to influence their behavior, it had to be through my own. 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