Are You Reacting or Responding
When the world feels out of control, remember that your world is within your control.
Yes, I’m fully aware that sounds like a bunch of self-improvement mumbo jumbo. I’m also aware that it is absolutely true.
The one thing you have the power to change in your life is how you react to the experiences around you.
Other people do not have power over you. The power in every interaction comes from how you choose to respond to it, and how you do or do not allow it to dictate your behavior.
You cannot dictate how other people speak or what words they use but you can dictate how you respond to them.
I use the word respond very purposefully. There's a difference between reacting and responding.
Responding means that you have taken in the available information and analyzed what it could possibly mean for you. Once you’ve done that, you can consider how you may choose to respond.
This process means you have put some thought put into your next move, your next words, your next facial expressions.
Reacting looks like this: someone does something and you do something back. someone says something you say something back. Someone else acts and you react. It's not measured. And it's not respecting your inherent ability to shape your life and choose how you live it.
All of the power in that scenario is in the other person’s hands because you have handed it to them and continue to follow their lead.
Give yourself an opportunity to wield your conversational power. Pause to process your experience and choose—your words, your body language, your facial expressions—every bit of it.