Every day, we have automatic reactions to the things in our environment. Maybe you snapped at your friend, spouse, or kid who has been getting on your nerves? Felt anxious at the thought of speaking up to someone? These knee jerk reactions that happen from day to day, seemingly out of your control, are what drives our desire to grow. Often, we ask ourselves how we can change those feelings of anxiety, anger, etc. Is it even possible to stop these reactions?
The reality is, we are human. Life's problems and negative emotions pop up from time to time, and often more often than we might like. So, if we are going to face these things, we must find an alternate option!
Viktor Frankl, a neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor, considers that often we react reflexively and automatically. He observes that this habit of reacting automatically can be changed. Frankl describes a "space" between what is happening and how we react. However small, there is freedom within that space. This is the space to choose.
Through this process, Frankl discuss how we can become more and more aware of that space. We can be empowered to respond, not just react. We have the space to choose our response.
コメント