01/13/2018
When you react, you let others control you.
When you respond, you are in control. Bohdi Sanders
At first, this quote appears to be nothing more than word play, but the fine line between reacting and responding is very important. When you react to what another person says or does, you are allowing the other person to direct your actions. Many people will figure out your "buttons" and push them at will in order to get you to "react" just as they want you to. When this happens, they are in control of how you think and act. You don't want this. Never give another person that kind of power over you.
Whenever someone is pushing your buttons, it should be a clue to you that you are starting to get emotional. Take a breath and think rationally. Most of the time, when someone is trying to get you to react, they are doing so for some agenda, usually unknown to you. So what do you do when someone is pushing your buttons?
You slow down and think. Think about why they are doing what they are doing. Think about what their objective is, what is behind their actions. Then you choose your response rationally and wisely. Don't take the bait.
This puts you in charge instead of the other person, which is exactly where the warrior should be โ in charge of his own thoughts and actions. Never take the bait that is designed to get a reaction out of you; calmly and carefully respond and you will take the wind out of their sails. This is another example of winning without fighting. Bohdi Sanders ~ excerpt from BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior, available from Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937884201 or from The Wisdom Warrior website at: https://thewisdomwarrior.com