Today is July 31 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you recognize the space between stimulus and response?”
Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl wrote “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Recognition of this space, however, requires you to increase your self-awareness so that you are actively looking for it following a stimulus. Are you relying on a reaction or a response upon stimulus?
People who successfully navigate the chaos work hard at recognizing the space between stimulus and their reaction or response. A reaction is often instantaneous.
A reaction is formed by the beliefs, biases, and prejudices of the unconscious mind. A response, however, usually comes more slowly. It’s based on information from both the conscious mind and unconscious mind.
Reactions are necessary for survival and people rely on them daily. Responses are necessary if we want to navigate the chaos and respond with intention, purpose, and focus following a stimulus.
It takes effort to recognize the space between stimulus and response. Do you?
To help you recognize the space between stimulus and response, remember the words of Saint Francis de Sales “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”