Daily Question, January 2 Can I pause today before I react to a situation before me? 31 Reflections Share Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. Kaycee-Jo Rylie6 years agoKaycee-Jo RylieThis is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I consistently react instantly and right after I react I rethink about what I said or how I said it and wether or not I could have reacted in a different way. It is something I am working on. 0 Reply Ivonne6 years agoIvonneI don’t always do; but I know I’m capable of doing so. My goal is to do it more often; until I reach the point where I do it more often then not. 0 Reply Doreen Nixon6 years agoDoreen NixonYes, I can pause before reacting to a situation if I keep myself balanced and practice mindfulness and being in the Now. Trick is to practice being mindful and aware of the emotions and let them float through. A pause before any action is good practice. 0 Reply elizabeth ward6 years agoelizabeth wardMy immediate (and unreflected) answer to to this question is ‘not very often’. I’ve just listened to a news bulletin in which Kim Jon-un and Trump were reported to be carrying on an ‘anything you can do I can do better’ type of conversation about their respective nuclear buttons. So come on; all of us mystics and contemplatives out there; let us work with these leaders through prayer that they might react wisely – it’s not a lighthearted song they&#...My immediate (and unrefl... My immediate (and unreflected) answer to to this question is ‘not very often’. I’ve just listened to a news bulletin in which Kim Jon-un and Trump were reported to be carrying on an ‘anything you can do I can do better’ type of conversation about their respective nuclear buttons. So come on; all of us mystics and contemplatives out there; let us work with these leaders through prayer that they might react wisely – it’s not a lighthearted song they&#…My immediate (and unreflected) answer to to this question is ‘not very often’. I’ve just listened to a news bulletin in which Kim Jon-un and Trump were reported to be carrying on an ‘anything you can do I can do better’ type of conversation about their respective nuclear buttons. So come on; all of us mystics and contemplatives out there; let us work with these leaders through prayer that they might react wisely – it’s not a lighthearted song they’re singing We can do this, so let’s do it. And I’ll work on my own act at the same time. Read More0 Reply Lara6 years agoLaraAs a first – year teacher, I find that I ask this to myself all the time. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment and feel like I have to react to the things that are happening around me. As the school year starts up again after winter break, I will definitely work to pause before I react a bit more. Giving time to really look for the root cause of an issue, and also to listen first to understand before being understood. 0 Reply Javier Visionquest6 years agoJavier VisionquestThis has been the unconscious focus of my practice of meditation for thirty years, the exercise of “non-reaction”. If someone had simply named it such so many years ago! But, instead, I’ve languished in my attention to so much confusing jargon, “singularly correct” techniques, and meditation’s superficial benefits. Now, I see the same caustic reaction in my own son, who is eight; the flash between frustration and his subsequent emotional meltdowns. Today this is clinically known as �... This has been the unconscious focus of my practice of meditation for thirty years, the exercise of “non-reaction”. If someone had simply named it such so many years ago! But, instead, I’ve languished in my attention to so much confusing jargon, “singularly correct” techniques, and meditation’s superficial benefits. Now, I see the same caustic reaction in my own son, who is eight; the flash between frustration and his subsequent emotional meltdowns. Today this is clinically known as “Sensory Processing Disorder” and so there’s a pill for that. I recognize and acknowledge SPD in my own past only then it was known only as “weird, awkward little kid” and there was no pharmaceutical therapy nor did my family have an inclination toward any sort of she-she, eastern philosophies for remedying the human condition. From this vantage, I’m truly grateful for the progress that I have made and hope that I might be able to inspire my son to seek solace inwardly. Read More2 Reply Palm6 years agoPalmThat’s why I got so excited when I heard about a project called Mindup, by the Hawn Foundation (actress Goldie Hawn), which introduces knowledge about the brain and quick meditation practices or “brain breaks” into school curricula in the US. It is an essential part of education which can really change the world 0 Reply KT6 years agoKTParticularly useful when someone says something I feel is unkind. I try to pause and reflect rather than jump to conclusion that the words are a personal attack. Perhaps the person is just having a bad day and venting. When I am successful, I might respond with “You sound discouraged today. What’s going on?” When unsuccessful, I feed into the cycle of negativity. 1 Reply Michael6 years agoMichaelA good way to practice is on the small things. Say you drop something and catch it before it breaks, or not. Stop and think before you curse or blame yourself for being clumsy. It is all within a few seconds but it is a good start. I am working on it. 1 Reply Palm6 years agoPalmSuch a good starting point Michael, thanks! 0 Reply Javier Visionquest6 years agoJavier VisionquestMy primary practice in meditation is that of “not reacting”. . . some days it’s easy; others, seemingly impossible 0 Reply Heather6 years agoHeatherToday is the day when I stop lying to avoid problems and other people’s disappointment. I have the right to decide what I want. I have the right to make mistakes I am the best person to know if I am ready for something. I do not have to adhere to others perceived notions of the right timetable. I will pause before I respond to others concerns and decide if it’s necessary to engage. I will consider if I want to respond and remind myself that the only person I am responsible to for decisi... Today is the day when I stop lying to avoid problems and other people’s disappointment. I have the right to decide what I want. I have the right to make mistakes I am the best person to know if I am ready for something. I do not have to adhere to others perceived notions of the right timetable. I will pause before I respond to others concerns and decide if it’s necessary to engage. I will consider if I want to respond and remind myself that the only person I am responsible to for decisions regardin myself is me Read More1 Reply John Turner6 years agoJohn TurnerSomething I’m still learning to do is to respond, rather than react. Either way, thinking about how I’ll respond (react) to any situation gives me the time I need to curb any unhealthy impulses. 2 Reply Bree6 years agoBreeYes I can! I will try my absolute best to do so as well. 1 Reply Deb6 years agoDebIt is generally a wise thing to respond rather than react. That pause allows me to respond. Yes, I can….and will. 2 Reply Eva Liu6 years agoEva Liuyes. if I am honest and kind to myself, then yes. if I let go of doubt and anxiety, then yes. if I do not let fear in and trust instead, then yes. 2 Reply Debra Maddex6 years agoDebra MaddexThis question has reminded me pause and reflect with compassion. I spoke with a relative this morning whom I’d been feeling angry towards, instead I listened to her and didn’t judge her or myself. As a result the conversation was uplifting and supportive for both of us. I am really grateful for these wonderful questions and supportive community that bring out the best in me. 6 Reply Michael6 years agoMichaelI have grown to the point where (much more frequently) I begin to react and catch myself before I actually react. living grateful plus teaching “accurate thinking” and how to recognize our “thought holes” has helped immensely. 1 Reply Suz C6 years agoSuz CI will be mindful of being present and pause before I react 3 Reply Antoinette6 years agoAntoinettePause and breathe! Allow to be calm and use the breath to not react but to find a place of calm no matter what storm is manifesting. 3 Reply Heather6 years agoHeatherYes. The space between the inhale and exhale. I have learned that’s where there if time to think before acting 2 Reply Ivonne6 years agoIvonneThe timing of this question could not be any better; today is my daughter's first full day back from her winter school vacation and it is in my interactions with her that I often have exchanges that could use this advice. I know I am capable of doing this but I also know what it is very hard because I've become somewhat addicted on the feeling of the adrenaline release that comes from getting angry and telling her things I know I'll regret the moment they leave my mouth. I know it's also about c... The timing of this question could not be any better; today is my daughter’s first full day back from her winter school vacation and it is in my interactions with her that I often have exchanges that could use this advice. I know I am capable of doing this but I also know what it is very hard because I’ve become somewhat addicted on the feeling of the adrenaline release that comes from getting angry and telling her things I know I’ll regret the moment they leave my mouth. I know it’s also about control because if I think of the worst possible outcome if I let most things so, none of them are worth the pain I cause her and the wedge I put between us. Today I will practice asking myself this question throughout the day. Read More6 Reply Heather6 years agoHeatherSo hard to let our children make their mistakes. I think there is a permanent groove in my tongue that has my daughters names on it! Breathing would be a more gentle way to stop and reflect than biting my tongue 2 Reply Ose6 years agoOseYes, in a situation before me, I consciously can at least exercise to breathe out to release possible stress and then breathe in, take a deep breath, breathe out again and wait and see what comes and eventually respond instead of react. Hope that next time I may remind myself in time ???? 2 Reply Barbara Morris6 years agoBarbara MorrisStop a beat before reacting. Yes I can try that. Not to gather my words or reactions in anger or from emotion but to realize I am not merely a reaction to other people’s actions. I want to be the source of good actions. 2 Reply 1 2 Next » My Private Gratitude Journal Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal Get Started This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A. 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