You are the Agent. Your environment is the Arena. Which do you think is easier to change? Which is the proper focus of your limited time, energy, and money? Where are you going to have the most success in your efforts and get the most bang for your buck?

This is one of my favorite discussions to have with new clients, especially those that are really committed to taking greater ownership of their path and trajectory. This conversation is extremely important for many reasons, not the least of which is that our larger culture puts almost all the of focus on the Arena, much to our collective detriment. A much better use of our personal resources is to focus on ourselves as a true Agent, and our inner terrain as where we should invest our efforts.

Think about for a minute. When was the last time you heard the phrase “personal responsibility” used in the context of being an important factor to consider? Where have you recently read the words “choices and consequences” fairly being used as a natural, neutral, and necessary part of all of our choice-making endeavors? What we find instead in many places across the larger cultural landscape is messaging that blames the Arena for our fortunes, or lack thereof. Very minimal attention is put on us as individuals and as responsible adults. As actual Agents of choice and action. Like “free agents” in sports, or the Agent characters in the Matrix movies, claiming your Agency gives you exponential access to freedom and power within your life and circumstances.

Our terrain as Agents is where we have so much more access, more influence, and more control over our experiences. Our inner terrain can be cultivated. It can be nourished. It can be developed and strengthened, allowing us to calmly and consistently apply effort in the direction that we want to go. Whether to the gym or the ice cream shop. Whether to go talk to the principle about little Johnny’s classmate calling him a name, or talk to Johnny about cultivating inner strength enough to not worry about it. Whether to complain about your co-worker’s success or simply put your head down and figure out how to perform better yourself.

Taking ownership of your terrain and ownership of your power of choice and action as an Agent to change it can be harder in the short term than simply blaming the Arena. But the Arena is always changing and evolving on its own. Are you planning on being the same Agent, or will you be changing and evolving too? In which directions, and for what reasons?