Respond Differently

Growing up there were a couple of sitcoms we watched as a family (back when TV was a little more family-friendly) that often referred to anger management techniques. The two I remember the most were the rubber band on the wrist, to be snapped during moments of anger, and the “close your eyes and count to 10 before responding" rule. I feel like these things were mentioned quite often on TV...but maybe they were just techniques that stood out to me so I remembered them well. Either way, this conversation is more about that choice to respond differently than the first instinct. The decision to snap the rubber band, or count to ten before responding is a conscious choice that affects the outcome of the situation... In a big way. 

In every interaction you partake in, you have the ability to choose how you will respond to the situation at hand. There are SO many human emotions, your options are truly endless. The question becomes, what does this response create in my life? See if you respond with a low vibration energy, like anger, resentment, or envy,  your day will be heavier than before. If you respond with a higher vibration energy, gratitude, joy, or love, for example,  your day will at least remain good, if not get better. 

What would that look like? Well, let’s say you are standing in the check-out line and the person behind you starts complaining about how long it is taking. Because he is not wrong, you listen to him complaining for a fair amount of time. It is all you can hear and listening to his complaints becomes your sole focus. The choices you have at this moment are to either drop to his level, get annoyed, be frustrated, and be impatient; to allow your vibration to drop and adopt that sour mood. OR you can choose to rise above that. You can choose to remain grateful that you’re not late for something else. Remain grateful that you have the financial ability to purchase that cartful of groceries. Remain grateful that your kids are handling the wait well today.  Remain compassionate towards the cashier, as it is not her fault the line is long. And all of a sudden you have risen above. You have stayed at your current vibration, if not raising your vibration at this moment. All because of how you choose to respond in that particular moment. 

This includes your communications with other people as well. How do you respond to criticism? How do you respond to an unforeseen change in your plans? How do you respond to someone’s misinformed opinions about you? How do you respond to your child’s bad attitude? Instead of dropping to a lower vibration, stay on your high road. Instead of asking yourself, “why does this always happen to me?” Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” What lesson is meant to be obtained through this challenging moment? Can I practice compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, understanding, and love? How can I raise the vibration of this situation? 

Yes, this does require you to pause. It requires you to take a minute to observe your perspective before you respond. It’s just like those anger management techniques. If you stop and count to 10 first, can you see a different approach than that knee-jerk reaction? Are you able to open your heart and your mind instead of getting defensive or aggressive? Can you bring a higher vibration into this space instead of lowering yourself to meet that of those who surround you? 

This is not easy, it does take practice-like all things in life. But it does change the feel of your day. That choice, that one decision, keeps your vibration high so you can remain at peace, no matter what life throws your way. It is all a matter of how you respond to any given situation. 

If this is something that feels easier said than done,  I'd love to help guide you out of those patterns and into habits that create more peace in your life! Let's chat soon!