3/7
“Response – ability”
Stephen Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” was a massive life shifter for me.
I first read it and worked my way through it in the late 1980’s.
When it was first released it was blowing business people’s minds wide open — in fact, the president of the start-up I was working for at the time gave me my first copy!
I’ve worked with it and recommended it many times since that first reading — in my first AND second copies got so dog-eared that I had to replace them. Now that’s serious reading and rereading.
I now know without a doubt that this book is what moved me on to my spiritual path, and nto my path as an entrepreneur and business owner.
A few of the concepts I took into my life and still live and work by are “put first things first” and “think win-win” and to be aware that many things that seem urgent aren’t actually important.
But the biggest one was his discussion of the word RESPONSIBILITY.
Mr. Covey points out that the word can be broken apart into two words: RESPONSE and ABILITY.
And he goes on to say that there is always a space between stimulus and response. A “response ability” if you will.
He states that we can always choose, and that we do always choose, either intentionally or by default, the way will respond to any and all stimuli in our lives.
Because we can take that breath before responding.
We can take that space between stimulus and response – and decide for ourselves how to respond.
Even if we just pause a take a breath.
Trying on, and then embracing this concept, literally changed my life.
It asked me to take full and complete ownership of everything.
If I really do have response-ability, then I really am response-able for everything unfolding in my life and in my business, since my reactions to stimulus are what’s creating my reality.
It’s a form of freedom, but it’s also a responsibility!
Can you see that? I’m just giving you the short version here – if you want more on this get and work with the book!
I’ve never forgotten this teaching, and I’ve never gone back to thinking I was a passive being tossed around by the whims of others, or the “that’s just the way it is” mindset , or the “well, that’s how we do it here” mindset, or the belief that I had no choice or responsibility for what happens to me, with me, and through me.
I am very, very aware of my response-ability. No matter what’s coming at me, what mood I am in, I am aware of this.
Because when I KNOW that I am Response – Able, I am the QUEEN of my world! And that just rocks.
Join me?
In love and queenliness,
Dina Kennedy
Your Trusted Authority for Untangling Energy
shifting energy, lives, & businesses daily
www.dinakennedy.com for your lie
permission-to-succeed.dinakennedy.com for your business
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