Life is full of challenges and changes.
We plan and then the plans go awry.
We go into conversations with one intention and they drift somewhere else.
Amidst all the change, we can only control our own actions and emotions.
In 2004, Jack Canfield came up with this equation:
E (Events) + R (Response) = O (Outcome)
The events are all around us.
Some go smoothly.
Others do not.
Some we predict.
Others come out of nowhere.
The events and the reactions of others impact the environment.
However, we can’t control the events or the actions of others.
That circles to the one thing we can impact – our response.
In any situation, we make choices.
Our mood.
Our tone.
Our decisions.
Our actions.
Each choice we make shifts the outcome.
A raised voice (vs. a calm one) changes the direction of a conversation.
Participating in office gossip (or not) produces different results.
Every day we make hundreds of choices about how we react.
What if we were more intentional?
Your Turn
What is the last moment where you reacted to an event?
Are you proud of your reaction and the outcome or is there something you would change?
Is there a relationship or frequent events where you aren’t happy with the outcomes? How could you change your reaction?