Earlier in the year, I was able to be a part of Fusion’s 101 course on the Sunshine Coast (not a bad location if you ask me!) One discussion we had was on the topic of reacting verses responding…something that has been on my mind recently. You see, I am by nature a reactor. My emotions jump out and have a head start in the race, before my thoughts have even heard the starting gun. In fact, they are usually 50 metres down the track, while my thoughts are frantically trying to reign them in! But thankfully there is always room to grow.
In our discussions, we talked about emotional responses coming from our attitudes that are usually formed early on in life. They inform what be believe to be true and our feelings and actions flow out of our attitudes. Some of which aren’t good!
A clearer & stronger way to make decisions is out of our values. If attitudes are like a flower with shallow roots, values are like a deeply rooted tree (the rows of trees above are some of my favourite in Canberra!) It is only when you live out of your values, that you can respond thoughtfully to what is happening around you rather than reacting.
Reactive people focus on the things they can’t control…proactive people focus on what they can control…
Click on the blue button below to check out this video…especially habit #1 which is on this topic.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
What better place to start in working out your values, than going to the source of all that is true, good and right? The Author of life Himself who has revealed Himself in His words (the Bible) & who is seen most clearly in Jesus His Son.
Jeremiah 17: 7-8 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots in the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”
What is one situation you are being reactive in that you can grow to thoughtfully respond to?