React vs. respond

"We don't have experiences in life. What we have are reactions to experiences. Things don't happen to us. Things happen in and of themselves, and what we do is react to them.

If you start to see the reaction rising and feel your emotional feathers getting ruffled, just step back from yourself, come back into your body, watch your breath, and feel the reactiveness dissipate. if reactions happen, let them go, come out of your head, and anchor into your body.

Halting your cycle of reactiveness allows you to have a perspective shift, so that you have the chance to respond in better, more positive ways."

~Baron Baptiste, Journey Into Power

{photo credit: princess_devil}