Light is Surrounded by Dark
Photo by Marek Piwnicki
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space, in the space we have the power and the freedom to choose our response. In the choice lies freedom and growth!”
- A Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl
Reaction tends to be unconscious and automatic, “fight or flight.” It’s impulsive and emotionally driven.
Response is conscious, thoughtful, and considerate of impact.
In the work we do, we are always focused on raising awareness or individual consciousness..
Awareness is the portal to discovery, but choice drives the action. The greater the awareness the better choices we make.
Awareness demands an examination of how we see life, ourselves in it, and the beliefs we have about it. All thinly disguised as facts or thoughts.
Awareness gives us insight into our beliefs and how those beliefs drive the results we get.
Beliefs are not real, they are perceptions we hold onto dearly. Perceptions are not real, they just shape how we see life, others, ourselves, and behavior.
“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.”
- Einstein
We say there are only two places you can see life from. Either looking outward or looking inward, whichever, determines the result we get.
Looking outward, we assign an external cause to the effect we are experiencing…” that happened because”...” I feel this way because”...” she/he did that because.” Anything that follows because is external. It is mostly based on fear, unconsciousness, and blame and is the playground of victimization.
We become “the effect” of some external cause and in the process usually suffer and point fingers and blame. Not much access to our power. Makes it hard to remember that “suffering is optional.”
Looking inward, best starts with the realization that “yes, s**t happens,” about which I have little to say, however in all things I still have a choice. I have a role, and an inward look helps me see it, looking outward tends to abdicate my role to some external cause.
Response is conscious, reaction is not!
My point is, that we have a choice, we can live in the light or we can live in the dark, we can live in fear or we can live in our personal power. It is either the victim or the owner.
Light is internal, and dark is external.
We can choose Victim as our operating platform or we can choose Ownership. That choice will determine the outcomes we get. Victim, Owner, there is no other place to stand!
Personal Core Values are a cornerstone of the work we do. Those fundamental, typically unseen, values shape and drive our life. They get formed early, stay with us for life, and shape the foundation of our character. When we violate them, real or perceived, or someone else does, we suffer. Realizing that is the source of the suffering can be difficult since our Core Values are usually invisible to us.
I think the current environment exposes our deepest fears, concerns, beliefs, and emotions like few others… this may become an understatement?
How do we deal with that? Our Core Values are one place we can stand. If our “Self” has a language, I believe it is our Core Values. Staying consciously anchored to our Core Values is a hedge against the nuttiness that uncertainty and confusion bring. It is a choice.
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space…”
How different would our life look, if we were aware enough to let our Core Values choose our response?
We can choose to operate within a decorum of decency or we can let our actions be guided by a narrow band of self-interest, misidentified as survival.
We can choose between unconsciously being a victim of circumstances or responsibly muting our reactions with a conscious response.
There is no right or wrong here, whichever you choose, and it’s always a choice. The choices just give different results!
How we do life is how we will do business, and everything/everyone is business. You have a voice and you have a choice!
Hugs around and have awesome holidays!
Cheers,
Here is a timely article discussing the usefulness of stress:
https://www.businessinsider.com/research-suggests-stress-only-damages-your-health-if-you-thin k-it-does-2018-9?amp
Usually when I talk about Core Values, which are so inherent in us that we do not even see them, we just think “that is the way the world should be”, people will usually think, hmmm, I wonder what mine are?
If you are curious about yours, you are welcome to our Core Values Exercise. Just drop us a note and we will send it to you. First name and email is all we need.
Fundamental of the Week #5: ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Develop the practice of doing your best each day. As it becomes a habit, what constitutes your best will change and improve over time.
Momentum Consulting offers executive business coaching, top-level executive consulting, team training, and team off-sites to build and transform your business to the next level. Inquire about business consulting and leadership coaching today.
