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Think Before You React - Then Respond With PurposeFalsely AccusedNow I say to myself, “THINK BEFORE YOU REACT.” For many years I unconsciously reacted to a traumatic event. When I was 12 years old I was accused by a department store detective of stealing a hat. I was brought into an office and told it was on tape and that the police were going to get involved.To make a long story short, with my Dad’s help I was vindicated the next day. However, the effects of that situation lasted for many years. If anyone even suggested jokingly of me doing something I hadn’t, I would “fly off the handle” emotionally, with reactions from raising my voice to rage. More than once I received a “What’s your problem?“ comment from friends! I think I was in my mid 20’s when I finally realized that because of that event back at the store, I was “automatically” reacting emotionally to certain situations. From then on, whenever someone claimed I did something I hadn’t, I would try to calm myself down and respond to the situation, telling myself, “THINK BEFORE YOU REACT.” You may not have had a “traumatic” event like that happen to you. Nevertheless, the same dynamics are in play for you when you are reacting to situations and stress instead of responding to them. So, How Do You React When .......You have psychological/emotional “buttons” that when pushed, start a reaction that could involve a range of emotions: anger, hurt, fear, anxiety, etc. Similar events or patterns of events seem to elicit the reaction.
Once you realize that you just reacted emotionally to a situation, sometime that day, ask yourself, “What was I feeling?” Your only goal is to identify the feeling(s) so that you can begin to move away from a powerless, subconscious reaction toward a purposeful, decisive response. Identify The Emotion And Take Back Your Power Identifying an emotion is a way to take back power that you have relinquished. Not knowing the real problem is a weak position to be in. The difficulty with emotional reactions to situations is that you will often blame someone or something else. The problem is always inside you and not out there. THINK BEFORE YOU REACT.Once you begin to identify the emotion being elicited, you can begin to consider how you should respond to the situation in the future. Be sure to remind yourself that it’s not someone else that’s the problem. You can only take responsibility for and have power over yourself. This process is reclaiming and utilizing power; the power to choose what you will think and how you should respond to the situations in your life. It starts with discovering how do you react when stressful situations arise and leads to being equipped to make decisions on how you should respond to the same. It’s moving away from reacting out of subconscious anger, fear or anxiety (as well as ingrained habits), toward responding with a plan or purpose about what you want from the day. If you don’t THINK BEFORE YOU REACT, you’ll continue to “lead” with those automatic, subconscious feelings. Because there’s unresolved subconscious issues, you will continue to attract situations that are similar; like attracts like. Just What Do You Want From Yourself? More important than what you want from each day is what you want from yourself. Who do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to show to the world? If you decide that you are going to make it a great day, you are responding from a place of personal strength and purpose. You will then rise above the circumstances that come in and out of your life so quickly. The Law of Attraction will begin to bring you forces, people and circumstances in harmony with your new thinking. How You Should RespondHere’s a process that can take you from reacting to situations and enable you to become better equipped on how you should respond:
How would someone who is determined to make it a great day sound instead? As you reflect on what you’ve been saying throughout the day, do you sound like someone who is making it a great day? This won’t be an easy process, but I’ll bet you will hear some very clear messages that will give you plenty to work on. Just remember, THINK BEFORE YOU REACT. If you don’t wish to make the effort, then your moods and attitudes are “easy prey” for difficult circumstances. However, if you decide that you are going to make today a great day, then THERE IS NO STOPPING YOU! Back to Top - Think Before You React
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