Hi Sandy,

Just thought I'd make some general comments....

I only just did my first pictogrigm of the Square One Workshops -- the Diagrigm of Life (DOL).... as Gordon explains here....

I'm a bit behind on my pictogrigms, but I'm going to FOCUS and catch up today! (Plus a whole heap of other stuff.... Today's going to be very busy....)

Near the middle of the lifeline there's

"EXPERIENCES"
(results)
outcome
responsibility

with an arrow pointing to these columns

5-10%
random
------
accidents
illness
unforeseen
unplanned
external
interventions

Chosen
------
Self
----
Aims (goals)
Financial
Physical
Social
Mental
Spiritual

Others
------
Childhood
Adults
school
environment
associations
Adults
surrendered

I know Gordon talks about this in more detail in other pictogrigms (I'm going to be doing mine today)....

But here is the importance of CHOICE....

Only 5-10% of what happens to you (on average) is random....

The rest of it is your own choice.... EXCEPT

If you're a child, then a lot of it isn't....

But if you're an adult, the rest IS you're choice unless you've SURRENDERED that choice....

As Gordon said in his post....
But, as an adult if someone is making the decisions about what you are experiencing, it is because you have SURRENDERED them.

This is tough for most people to accept.

I’ve been recruited for jobs (three times) but most of my work experience occurred because I went to THEM and raised my hand and said pick me, pick me, not the other guy…and they did.

I think how this relates to what you're saying, Sandy, is that to some degree people might be "victims" -- I think that's the average 5-10% random occurrences that can occur according to the DOL....

But, that means that 90-95% (on average) is your own choice if you're an adult, and if you haven't surrendered those choices to others....

By the way, there is great benefit in writing out the pictogrigms yourself in long-hand, compared with just reading them....

In the past, I had just read them. Now that I've written out Pictogrigm no. 1, I have a much better insight into it.... I highly recommend for everyone to do it....

Thanks for your insights Sandy.... I essentially agree that you're right -- we can be victims to a degree....

But I think a distinction needs to be made between the 5-10% (on average) of occurrences outside of your control, compared to the 90-95% of occurrences which are in your control....

- Dien