Insights: Responding and Not reacting

Hey all,

Hope all is good :)

Everyone in their life I’m sure has been familiar with times they have reacted rather than responded towards someone outwardly having a go at them.

We can wonder what causes us to be so reactive?

*Past experiences and not knowing what our triggers are,

*How people say things. “You did this..”,”If only…”

*Someone sharing their religion or someone saying they don’t believe in god

Your brain can either fight threat, flee from threat , freeze from threat or pretend it doesn’t exist - it’s not a conscious choice we make but we can ask what makes us feel safe in the moment (music, gripping a stress ball).

Hate cannot defeat hate but love can maybe soften up the hate; whether people think it’s fake or genuine the love you provide it’s their decision and a reflection of their own experiences they need to work on like every other person.

Lets give ourselves and them grace - sometimes our words are clumsy; they are zig saggy and not in one line very much like emotions when we aren’t in complete control.

We tell ourselves others need to rethink their word choice. But what about us? Did we respond with as much sensitivity , honesty and validation ? ❤️

A healthier end is in responding and not reacting; don’t get me wrong sometimes we all will react if we are feeling picked on and unsupported.

A helpful motto for me has been; You can control your own thoughts, reactions and behaviour (with awareness , humility , open mind) but not how others will react to you.

How did you feel when you did react to negativity whether it’s perceived or actual ?

How did you feel when you responded instead of reacts to negativity whether it be perceived or actual?

We all have room to grow even no matter if we are seen as handling situations well or not.