Do You React Consciously and Responsibly?
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Carnage in the Toy Store
This morning I went to a local shopping centre (mall) to buy a birthday present for my two twelvemonth-old pseudo-niece (my business partner'southward daughter. Happy Birthday picayune Jessie!) It proved to exist quite the eye-opening experience for the childless (and somewhat clueless) blastoff-male. While the shopping role of the trip turned out to be something of an enjoyable adventure for Yours Truly (who knew toy stores could exist such fun?), the same couldn't be said for the six (or so) twelvemonth-old who was test driving trucks in the adjacent aisle. Equally the excited immature truck driver lifted the object of his want higher up his caput to show the Primary Financial Officer what he needed for his next birthday, his chubby little fingers somehow lost their grip and the rather-costly toy (over a hundred bucks) came crashing down on to the concrete floor, transforming it instantly into a jigsaw puzzle. Which, of form, is a euphemism for… an expensive pile of crap.
For a nanosecond there was silence.
I knew it wouldn't last. I looked at the niggling male child. I saw terror. I looked at the mother. I saw wild rage. I felt a bit nervous for the little fella. I call back I had some kind of deja vu moment. Sympathy pains. Or something.
For a moment I thought she might really impale him with what remained of the truck. Simultaneously information technology started: his crying and her screaming. For what seemed like an eternity, the mother bellowed at the distraught child. Oblivious to her own disgraceful behaviour, the out-of-control woman ranted and raved like a lunatic.
If not for the ever-growing audience, I am sure she would have hit the boy. Leaving the broken toy on the floor, the adult female dragged the screaming kid out of the store and left us spectators stunned. I said something to the shop banana who informed me that such scenes are a regular occurrence in the store.
Life: A Never-Ending Series of Reactions
In many ways, our lives are a serial of reactions. It'south unavoidable. And while we exercise our best to create our own destiny and to live proactive and productive lives, the reality is that we all alive in a dynamic and unpredictable world. Reacting is a fundamental and necessary office of the homo experience. It's a required skill. It's what we practise hundreds of times a day. Consciously or not. Positively or negatively.
We hear the conditions forecast, we react. The guy in the Mazda hits his brakes, nosotros react. Our partner says something, we react. Our child spills milk, we react. The boss walks in, nosotros react. We hear skillful or bad news, we react. 1 way or the other. Somebody lets the states down, we react. The lights change, we react. Somebody gives u.s. feedback, we react. A song comes on the radio, nosotros react. An opportunity presents itself, nosotros react. We're confronted with a challenge, we react.
Today y'all will react hundreds of times and many of those reactions will happen on auto-pilot. Some reactions will be incidental and for the most part, meaningless (scratching an itch, stepping over a puddle, swaying to some music). Some will bear on on others (reacting to the woman who cuts you off in the automobile park). Some will affect your personal relationships (an statement with a friend). Some volition be life-impacting (dealing with a tragedy). Some will create positive outcomes. Some negative. One reaction could fifty-fifty involve a kid who has accidentally broken a toy.
In reacting the way she did in the toy store, the mother created numerous (undesirable and unnecessary) outcomes. She:
- Terrified a child that (I assume) she loves.
- Humiliated him (by dragging him through the store by his shirt).
- Taught him that mistakes are not okay.
- Drew unnecessary attention to herself and made everyone within fifty feet experience uncomfortable.
- Put herself into a negative and subversive emotional state. And no, the demise of the truck wasn't the trouble: her reaction was.
- Made herself look similar a complete idiot!
In this life there are many things (most things, in fact) which will happen despite you and me. They will happen to us and around us. Some good. Some bad. Yet, in that location is one affair that will always be in our control – unless we choose to hand over that power – and that is, how we react. Life is not fair or unfair my friends; life just is.
A long time ago I made a conscious decision that situations, circumstances and events wouldn't define me or determine my emotional and psychological states; I will practise that myself. Consciously and intentionally. I will choose my mood, my attitude, my behaviours, my reactions and therefore, my outcomes. And therefore my reality. I will be influenced by – but not determined by – the events of my earth. To the best of my ability, I will consciously and thoughtfully cull my reactions. Will information technology ever be piece of cake? No. Will I practice my all-time anyway? Yep. I volition be always-mindful of the likely consequences and potential bear upon of my reactions – on my life and the lives of others. Consciousness and awareness (of how I react and the likely consequences of my reactions) are things that need to be worked on. Forever.
Our reactions tin can be human relationship-enhancing, or relationship-destroying. They can put us in a solution-focused headspace, or a trouble-obsessed compassion-party. They tin make people express mirth or fill a room with tension. They tin can empower people or discourage them. They can make people feel safe and secure or terrified and confused. They can lead to learning and personal growth or bitterness and anger.
Someone much smarter than me once said:
In the context of life, it'south not what happens that matters, but how we react (to what happens) that matters.
I tend to agree.
Today I'm encouraging yous to exist more mindful, more conscious and more than aware of your reactions (big and small) – and the likely outcomes of those reactions – on your life, and the lives of the people in your world. Sometimes, a better life is the by-product of better reactions. So choose to react consciously and responsibly.
Equally always, beloved to hear your ideas, thoughts, feedback and stories.
Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/do-you-react-consciously-and-responsibly.html
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