You can change your reaction but...

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When you are living in a beaten up car after a terrible day at work with a few gallons of gas with the gas paid from a run-down job to help pay for everything, and then you live in an apartment building in a terrible area because it is cheap, and in your rooms while you try to sleep hard you hear nonstop gunfire and arguments. you can't change anything, but you can change your reaction to it all. Sometimes when we try to change everything we end up hurting ourselves. At the moments we all can overload in information or emotions, we may try to fix everything to prevent less trouble, but again, we can only change our reaction to it all.

If you are forced to live in the living situation I said above, I think the best reaction you can give is I can do more and soon when I have enough money I can change my living, because it is what we are in control of. Stuff like constantly demanding a raise or constantly demanding to have a better job, and especially haggling, is not going to help your situation. Some people yeah they can haggle their way through, but for the most part try to focus only on when you react. Focus on what you are in control of.

but remember those of us who lack the brainpower and physical strength/stamina, to burn the candle at both ends [work full time and go to school full-time] to escape the ghetto. some of us are stuck there, no matter what we do. a better strategy is what I found when watching the movie "tribes" where to escape a nasty unavoidable situation, one of the marine recruits teaches the other recruits how to put their minds elsewhere.

I found that it was everyone elses bad attitude that made me feel like my situation was so hopeless.
I live in a crappy caravan, in what's basically a big pile of mud, right next to a road and an airport. When I first moved in, I was so happy and grateful, because I had been sleeping on the streets before then. I was really content, despite all the mud and mold and noise. It was when other people started telling me about how awful my situation is that I started believing it. "It must be so awful to be cold all the time" "How do you stand not being able to shower?" "You need to get out of there". It made me forget how lucky I am to be inside, and I started hating this place, just longing to get away.
I've changed back my mindset now, just by reminding myself of how amazing this is compared to homelessness.
I would love to love in a real house one day, but complaining about the current situation won't help at all. My goal of saving up enough for a house is still far away, but the goal is no longer about getting away from the current situation, just about reaching towards another. It's sure better for my mental health, which in turn makes it easier to work towards the goal.

Hi there, I'm new here and this thread really struck a cord.
It's natural for an individual to strive to change and control their environment to be how they want it. But I agree with you, much is outside our control. Increasing our influence brings these things into our control.
Budha tries to teach man to be content with their lot, but i'm not convinced by this. He was a prince, and part of that philosophy makes me feel it's a way for the rich and powerful to eliminate the potential competition by making the masses either content being poor and humble or beleive that they cannot compete in the first place.
I agree, while it is not easy, only the individual can change and control their mindset, too many people are either blaming everyone else or waiting for someone else to do something about it.

I always try and think 'I didnt make you angry, you got angry at something I did - and that is your choice'. It's ludicrus for people to think others can control how they feel?!