It is our thoughts or what happens "inside us" that assign meaning to situations. According to Wayne Dyer, whether we perceive ourselves as living in a friendly or hostile universe determines the lens through which we see the world. Our thoughts and beliefs often reflect the lens through which we see the world. For example, if our perception is that we can't trust other people, then when something happens and another person disappoints us, it reinforces this belief that people are not trustworthy. However, someone with a more benevolent worldview might experience the same event but decide that whatever the other person did was about their beliefs and perceptions and the act had nothing to do with them, nor was it aimed at them . This latter perception allows you to make a conscious choice to respond rather than react to life events. It also allows the individual to maintain control over himself