Events in life come and go. We all experience events in our life. The question for each of us is; how will we respond to each event in that moment?
We cannot see the future, therefore, we cannot predict events that have yet to take place. So trying to predict our response to any event is impossible, because we can only respond in the moment, once the event has taken place. What’s more, our response to similar events could be different because the moment an event takes place will not be the same moment as when any similar event takes place.
Simply put our response to each and every event is unique, even if the event is similar to other events we’ve experienced.
Accepting that our response is unique, there is another question. What’s our state of being at that moment and what will we do in response to the event? And it’s our state of being that has a huge influence on both our immediate response and subsequent actions.
We all, always have a state of being, we are always being. But, most of us are so obsessed with doing, that we focus most of our energy and attention on what we’re doing. When we want to make a change in our life, oftentimes we change what we’re doing and hope that will result in enduring change. It won’t! Because if we continue being as we’ve always been then a change in what we are doing will be temporary. Lasting change comes when we work at the level of being as well as the level of doing.
If you want to change the way in which you typically respond to events then decide on the way of being that you feel will enable you to be most resourceful.
Be aware that a way of being is something that runs through our whole life. If we decide that being loving is how we want to be then our intention is to be loving in every moment. One of the lovely things about being loving is that on the occasions we notice that we are not being as loving as we would like to be, our response is to be loving. Our response is not to beat ourselves up or to dwell in a less loving way of being, because we are choosing to be loving, the most loving thing to do is to be loving!
Life tends to move at a relentlessly fast pace, meaning that it’s easy to get caught up reacting to events and situations without taking a moment to breathe, notice our way of being and to respond. The gift is in the breath and noticing our way of being, because that gift leads us to a place of response and not reaction.
So, yes, we can really influence our response to external events. The key is to choose a way of being that serves us and to be kind to ourselves when we get caught up in the moment and find ourselves reacting in a way that is not aligned with the way of being we have chosen.
With Love
Tim x