What do people want more than anything else? They want personal freedom, happiness, and the respect of their peers. Most people who responded to the survey said these were desires, but their responses made these hopes seem more like wishful thinking than very probable. They believe that what controls their personal freedom, happiness, and their peers’ respect is beyond their control. The truth, according to the Bible, is that our personal freedom is a result of our choices in life, that our happiness is a result of our personal choices in life, and that the respect we receive from the people in our lives is a result of our choices. It is easier to blame circumstances and others for our misery and failure than to own the responsibility, but that is what we have been doing since Adam. We choose how we think and talk about our circumstances. We can’t usually control circumstances, but we can control our response, and it is that response that determines most of what we really desire in life. Circumstances don’t determine my feelings; my response to my circumstances determines my emotions.