Change Your Response
These are the times that try men’s souls. At least, it certainly feels that way, and many people agree. Thomas Paine first wrote those words on December 23, 1776. It has been almost 250 years, and those words still ring true.
When life throws lemons at you, what do you do? Do you make lemonade or put on a sour face and complain about the bitterness? The choice is entirely up to you.
One of my mentors, Jack Canfield (Switzer 2006), developed a formula to illustrate our ability to control the outcomes in our lives.
The formula is E X R = O
E is the event. It is the thing you cannot control. When an event occurs, we can affect many things – our physical response or behavior, thoughts about the event, and our emotional response to the challenge or situation at hand. These are the Rs of the equation. Our responses directly within our control and only within our control.
And it is our response that determines our O, the outcome. It is not the lemon that chose to either become a delicious beverage or cause a sour face. That outcome is determined by whether we decide to add a little sugar and water.
Here are a few strategic responses to bring you the ultimate outcomes.
- Avoid negative events. We can choose which media to consume to stay up to date, ranging from shocking horrors to new and valuable knowledge.
- When a disaster, or even just bad news, strikes, consider your options and act accordingly.
- Stop continuing bad results. The next time something does not go your way, do not just accept it. Please do something about it by changing something.
- Never panic. It is difficult to find reasonable solutions in panic moments.
Our response is always within our control. Most of the time, our response determines our outcomes. We fall short when we allow events to choose our results. For RADical success, control your response and your destiny.
RADical Success Idea of the Week
Choose an event or area in your life that is negatively impacting you, and take some time to review your potential responses to achieve your desired outcome.
Book a 15-minute laser coaching session to focus on one goal or obstacle and choose your next option. Sessions are free, but limited so book now.
