(Estimated reading time 4 minutes)
We all have the power for extraordinary within our grasp ….
If we are willing to pause, ready to take an honest look at where we are, willing to allow ourselves to dream about who we could become, extraordinary starts to come into focus. In seeing it for ourselves, in ourselves, we start to become aware of the weight of our choices. If we are somewhere we don’t want to be, mentally, physically or spiritually, the option to change is ours.
“Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become the next moment. By the same token, every human being has the freedom to change at any instant.” ― Viktor Emil Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning.
Once we have a vision of what courage, compassion, generosity (or anything else we might aspire to) would look like in our own situation, we have immense power within our reach. The act of courage practised, again and again, will make us courageous even if we don’t feel that way. The choice to give away what we want for ourselves (many times over), eventually becomes a part of the fabric of who we are, and we become generous. If we are willing to practise banishing our internal critic or laying down the allure and lies of perfectionism, we finally start to hear another voice – brave, hopeful, alive, heroic – that summons our potential.
Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Viktor E. Frankl
Don’t waste this gift you have been given. One (very short) life. Find your song and sing it, your heart-beat and share it, discover your colour and paint it, create your unique flavour and spice up the world. If you don’t find a way, we all miss out. Today is your day!
Here’s what I’ve learned in the last 8 years since I wrote this blog about responding instead of reacting:
1. You have to be clear about how you want to show up.
2. You have to start practicing noticing when you’re not showing up that way. This includes noticing what triggers you to behave in a way you are not proud of.
3. I think the STOP skill is very helpful in creating the pause (Stop, Take a breath, Observe what is going on including your own thoughts and feelings, Proceed mindfully).
