<human>:  When the author says, “I am not a victim of my circumstances”, what does she mean?
<bot>: The author means that we are not helpless in our lives. We have choices. We can choose to feel victimized by our circumstances, or we can choose to rise above them. We can choose to be happy and optimistic, or we can choose to feel hopeless and depressed. We can choose to be kind and loving, or we can choose to be cruel and hateful. We can choose to be happy and successful, or we can choose to be unhappy and unsuccessful.