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Bad things happen to good people
Sometimes things happen in our lives that are not fun or happy. Sickness isn’t that great. Many times surprises are unsettling; the car needs a new thing-a-ma-jig for $450. Let’s face it, bad things happen to good
people. Things will happen over which you have no control. Another driver may not see you and pull into your lane; your racing heart tells you, “That wasn’t fun!”
You can predispose yourself to a fun life and still “bad” things will happen.
“Bad” things happening are life. There are degrees of bad things too. You put a dress on layaway and they sold it by mistake. It’s not the same as almost dying in a car accident but it’s still not “good”.
When bad things happen you do have some control over how it affects you.
React or Respond
Think about being sick, going to the doctor and taking medicine. If you react to the medicine, you’re worse off than you were with just the disease. We have a child that is allergic to penicillin. The first time a
doctor treated her sore throat with penicillin, she got worse. She “reacted” to the penicillin. Her throat swelled and she couldn’t breathe. The doctor prescribed a different anti-biotic and this time she
“responded” to the medication. Her body accepted the help in defeating the infection and she recovered from the strep throat. Reacting made the bad thing worse. Responding started the healing process.
You’re driving carefully to go shopping at the mall and another driver swerves into your lane missing you by inches. Do you react or respond? What good is it going to do anyone for you to lean on the horn, bang the
steering wheel, get your blood pressure up, ruin your serenity? That would be reacting. Responding would be to give that driver, who obviously is not having as much fun as you are, a little leeway, some extra
room to go on with their day.
Try This:
Give yourself time to form a response instead of immediately reacting. Next time something “bad” happens and you feel a reaction, make it a response. Our experience is this is best accomplished by waiting a second or
two before you “lean on the horn.” Reacting puts the other person or event in control. Reacting gives your power away. Responding consolidates your power for you. Who do you want to have your power?
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