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Reflections by Lee Labrada
One of my favorite sayings is "attitude determines altitude." You may not have control over many things in life, but the one thing you have control over is your response. And if you choose the right response, instead of relying on your emotions, then you will develop a positive attitude. And a positive attitude will help you to get positive results in your life.
That’s empowering. When you realize that you have the power to choose how you respond to anything, no matter how difficult, it creates power.
But, so many of us go through life on autopilot and instead of responding, we REACT to events and situations in our life.
When you’re in a reactionary mode, you’re constantly on edge and anxious. You’re in a constant "fight or flight" state of mind.
Science tells us that when you’re in this reaction mode, the part of your brain known as the amygdala takes over. In ancient times, our fight or flight reactions were necessary for our survival. Whenever we would see a threat stimulus, such as the sight of a predator, it would trigger the amygdala and you would start releasing adrenaline. Your heart rate and breathing would increase so you could face the threat.
Today, we rarely have to run away from predators. But the rub is that our brains are still wired to respond to bad news or bad situations with a fight or flight reaction.
OK so here’s the good news. Even though we’re still wired this way, with practice, we can set aside these initial emotions (reaction) very quickly, and then instead logically think through how we’re going to respond to circumstances so we can fix the problem. And it’s this knowledge that gives us empowerment and the feeling of control.
If you’ll indulge me, I want to share that in my own personal case, I also get empowerment from my faith in God. I have a deep-seated belief that everything is going to work out, no matter what happens. I also know that I’m called to do the best that I can in each situation, and then leave the rest in the Lord’s hands.
Here’s a prayer that I really enjoy:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
We’re living through difficult and strange times. Just remember that through it all, you get to choose your response, and you’re not alone.
God bless you and make it a great week!
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