React or Respond

In our fast-paced world, the difference between responding and reacting can have a significant impact on our personal and professional lives. Understanding and mastering this concept can lead to better decision-making, enhanced relationships, and overall mental well-being. In this post, we will delve into the key differences between responding and reacting, and how cultivating a response mindset can empower you to take control of your life.

The awareness to "respond" in all circumstances is key to living a life of joy, fulfillment and success. In relationships, developing your response muscle will help you avoid un-necessary turmoil. In business, the habit of responding is a very likely difference between profit and loss.

Let's start with working definitions. In the context of mindset, reacting is the "act" (conscious or unconscious) of allowing mental energy to be focused on the (usually negative) circumstance. It is perfectly natural to do this only because it may be your habit, something that was modeled for you and you learned to do without thinking. When we react, we are activating dis-empowering, low energy, chaotic vibration in our body.

Our body is equipped to react to the perception of a threat to our well being. There is an aspect of our subconscious mind called the Amygdala which activates the flight or fight response to danger. The problem is our brain is a deep and wide recording studio, and is 2000 years or more in its development. What was a necessary response in the past to real danger, from animals, other humans and the elements, in an effort to keep us safe and alive is NOW being used against us. A flat tire on the highway, a missed phone call, a rude remark from a neighbor, a broken agreement by someone important to us, unconsciously are perceived as a threat to our survival, when in truth they are merely inconveniences in our daily life. It all is in HOW YOU LOOK AT IT!

Now, to respond, is to activate your prefrontal cortex and to Think! If you are thinking, you are putting your powerful creative mindfulness on how you want something to be. I go so far as to suggest that thinking is forming images of the good you desire on mental screen of your mind. Responding and Thinking do not change the circumstance that may have caused you to "react", yet it is the pathway forward. We must always be focused on solutions if we are going to live an extraordinary life of joy, fulfillment, and success.

Just as your Amygdala serves the purpose of keeping us safe and alive by causing us to avoid dangerous situations, our Pre Frontal Cortex is an aspect of our humanity which gives us control of our lives. This is our creative center which separates us from other live species on the planet. We have a roof over our head because of this. We drive in cars, because of this and at some point in the future, we will be flying in cars because of our collective consciousness.

You see, there is vast world of difference in our human experience when we choose to respond to our life. We create our life through the energy we show up in.....the reactive mind is very chaotic in its energy, in fact when the Amygdala is activated the chemistry in our body causes our Pre Frontal Cortex to shut down......and our "thinking" becomes very limited.

Your responsiveness to your life is a habit which will serve you well. What could your life be like if you decided to work on developing your responsiveness muscle? When you make the decision and become aware of the benefits to yourself, your family and your future, the impact is magnified.

Simple Exercise:

I have a simple exercise to use anytime something triggers your reactiveness. I call it Polarity and it is a 3 step process.

Step 1: This circumstance is what it is and it is either going to control me (REACT) or I am going to control it (RESPOND.) I choose to respond!

Step 2: "Harvest the Good" You must be willing to look for the good in all circumstance. This is an exercise of your perception and focus. The truth is, what you focus on will get bigger. You will make a mountain out of mole hill if you allow yourself to do so. Harvesting the good is a choice to look for the benefit, or the silver lining in everything that happens. The Law of Polarity means there must be both positive and negative for there to be anything. I am suggesting there is power and value in at least looking for and focusing on the good that is present in every negative circumstance. You may not be able to see or perceive it, yet there is power in directing your mind to look for it. I want to invite you to make it a habit for everything that happens in your life.

Step 3: Forgive Everything Else! If you cannot control it, why would you put any mental energy on it? Instead direct your mind to the solution, action or outcome you choose to experience. This will be the greatest gift you could give yourself. We must develop the habit of letting go of the things we cannot control or change (or FEEL like we cannot control or change.) Often times when we let go of "it," out of nowhere, change happens when we least expect it.

Bottom line, our true power is in letting go of completely (true forgiveness), the things that have happened on our life. Our ability to do this is a reflection of our growth in awareness and when we grow in awareness, we take our creative power to a different level, and that is how we create an Extraordinary Life of Joy, Fulfillment, Success and Prosperity.

Conclusion:

Mindfulness is a process and we must develop our own awareness of how we are using our mind in any particular moment. We are not required to "Be Thinking," every moment of every day, yet the benefit of developing the productive habit of Responding to our life goes a long way to determining the quality of the energy we are in which ultimately leads the way to a quality of life we experience.

I See You in Great Success!

Dr. Ed