Stimulus and Response

A law of Physics states that for every action there is a reaction. This applies to life as well.

Dr. Stephen Covey, author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, states that in between stimulus and response, there is always a vacant space.

This period of time, however minute, is created for human beings to think about their actions before actually reacting.

This is a time to evaluate and to decide and, most importantly, to choose the correct response.

However, in today's busy world, many people lose this concept. They react to everything immediately, with little thought and little consideration.

In their urgency to get more done, they forget to evaluate their response. In the fast-paced and stresssful world that we live in, they have conditioned themselves to react.

One of the most important things that anyone can do is to learn to master that short period of time between stimulus and response. To do this is to be in control of life.

How reactive are you? Do you consider the effects of your words before you say them? Do you consider the consequences of your actions before doing them? Do you have a strategy as to what you want to achieve, so that you can measure everything that happens to see if they are supporting your goals or working against them? If you have answered no to these questions, take some time to slow down. Just for one day, count to 3 before saying anything. Count to 3 before doing anything. By doing this, you will begin to train your mind to think and evaluate before it acts, a skill that will allow you to be proactive in life and not simply reactive to all that happens around you.