Monday, August 4, 2008

Freedom in a little word called "choice."

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."
- Viktor E. Frankl

Words to live by, literally. If we could only learn to live this lesson -- that we have a choice in our responses to people or situations. We can choose to react or we can choose to respond, the latter often coming to us by delaying the response just a bit. Finding that space to collect our thoughts, take a breath, weigh our options, and choose the best response -- which may be a calm response or no response at all.

And then there's the implementation of the 5 minute rule. That when something is really getting to us that we either do something about it right then and there -- take care of the situation calmly of course -- or we choose to let it go so that it doesn't continue to eat at us, as that's unproductive. The 5 minute rule requires discipline -- and lots of it -- but a good practice nonetheless.

Viktor Frankl understood a bit about growth and freedom and hope -- all things we can choose to live for. He exhibited a higher level of consciousness, which he viewed as sort of an unconscious spirituality. Isn't that what it takes to have freedom in our lives? Our decision or choice to respond versus react to situations almost requires us to reach a bit deeper in our being, beyond the ego mind and into the spirit-filled heart. To think more about others and less of ourselves, even in just that split moment of "space" that Viktor refers to. To allow ourselves the freedom that is ours, if we choose.
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