Covey - by Lisa

When I first started reading this book the part that caught my attention first was the section entitled “The Social Mirror” (pg. 67) because after reading it I began to watch my reactions to things people were saying a little more closely, as well as my reactions to what they said, essentially attempting to complete the thirty day test as recommended. I’m not sure that there is very much of myself I would blame on my grandparents or their genetics, however as far as psychic and environmental determinism I agree that they do largely “…[shape] your character and personality and basically [govern] your whole life” (pg 69). After reading about Viktor Fankl I found it hard to comprehend how he was able to become aware of the concept of “the last of human freedoms” and basically control his response to various stimuli, even when trying to pay attention to what was going on in my environment I found it very hard to control my responses. I was surprised by this because before reading this book I looked at myself as being a very proactive individual but after reading this chapter and observing myself I learned that I am much more reactive and do not hold much control over my basic nature. Basically, after reading the comparisons between reactive and proactive language I found I had a lot to learn and I am fairly sure if I described the month to Covey he would tell me I had very much failed his test. Essentially this chapter taught me to pay closer attention for the rest of the book and to work much harder at controlling my circle of influence.