Wednesday, June 6, 2007

React Or Respond....Your Choice

Imagine going to see a Doctor because you were sick. After careful examination, you were given a prescription and an instruction to return in a few days. If, when you walk back in to see the Doctor, he starts shaking his head and says “It looks like your body is reacting to the medication; we’re going to have to change it”, you probably will get a little nervous. However, if the Doctor smiles and says “You’re looking great! Your body is responding to the medication,” you will feel relieved. Yes, responding to life is good. Reacting to the incidents of life is negative- and that is bad.

When I was studying Biology in College some years back, we were thought how plant and animals “respond” to stimulus. It is called “tropism”. If for example, you put a flower in a room that is poorly lit and it does not have direct access to sun rays, it responds to that condition. It looks for where you have the sun rays coming from and bends its stem in that direction. Bottom line, it has two choices, react or respond. It could react and complain about the situation. “Why in heaven’s name don’t I have access to sun rays here!” It can remain where it is. If it does, death is imminent. It will only be a matter of time. On the other hand, it responds and says “Fine, the sun rays are not getting to me, so I have to get to it”. Living things survive this way. You can’t be any different. You will have to positively respond to life and issues of life if you do not want to “die” prematurely.

I came across a report that explains my point in clear terms. Today, there is so much turmoil in the job market and many people are losing their jobs through downsizing, mergers and takeovers. This creates some unusual opportunities for many people. According to the Wall Street Journal, there is a positive from this trend. In the last five years, more than fifteen million businesses have been created in the United States. Interestingly enough, more than half of these businesses have been created by women! Very few of them had any marketable skills, and several of them had great financial need.

Many of these new businesses – possibly most of them – would never have started had not an “unfortunate” event occurred in people’s lives. When those events did occur and needs became obvious, the women chose to respond, and there is little doubt that many of them are better off now than they were before the “tragedy” took place.

Take Glenn Cunningham as another example. When he was young, their house was gutted by fire and he was severely wounded. Doctors said he was so badly burnt that he will never walk again. Everyone believed that report except Glenn. He knew he had a choice either to respond to what life was pushing at him or to react. He did respond. He started attempting to move his feet when his parent were away. He made up his mind he wasn’t only going to walk but also run! And he did. In 1938, when he ran his fastest mile (and won an Olympic medal) in 4.04.4 mins, he owned 12 of the 31 fastest mile times on record! How will you respond today to challenges that come your way.

The message here is clear: If you respond to life instead of react to it, then you’ve got a much better chance of achieving success.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great stuff as usual. You amaze me with your stories and illustrations. I like the way someone puts it in a book i read. He said "it is not what happens to you that matters. it is what happened in you as a result of what happened to you".

bridget said...

good post as always sir,
deres just a thin line between those who make it in life and those who dont.its up to us to make d best of all of life's situations

Anonymous said...

Nice one again, it's just that the timing between what happens and our response/reaction could determine if it'll be a response or raction. Usually we just need to take a little longer time then we end up responding not reacting.

Anonymous said...

'Sola Adeyinka said...
good day sir, lovely one thumbs up.getting into the habit of checking you up regularly.

alaba said...

Beautifully put accross,
I cant imagine living just a reacxtionary life in this kind of a country where all you get oftentimes is bad and dicouraging news.
Thanks pastor,I believe all nigerians should wake up everyday to such talk on their radios,TV's whetever!

laolu ojedokun said...

A great Post! a good one to keep me thinking all week. it reminds me of the fact that whether we react or we respond depends on our attitude towards life.
our attitudes could be positive, negative or indifferent.
we have a choice to make. it's all in our decision!

You are destined for the top of the topmost top! See you there!!