People with an “external locus of control” generally believe that their successes or failures result from external factors beyond their control, such as luck, fate, circumstance, injustice, bias, or people who are unfair, prejudiced, or unskilled. One key to mental health is understanding that you have more control over the outcomes of events in your life. That control is there for the taking, and Dr. Kim Lannon tells us that becoming aware that you are probably avoiding it is an important first step.