Thrive and Awaken® Tip

In Survival Mode we react. Of course we do—when something threatens our safety, our instinctual brain takes over. Fight, flight, or freeze kicks in. These reactions allowed our ancestors to survive.

But today, we often react to everyday stress in a similar way. You may be hurt by a comment from a friend, a tone from a partner, or a terse email. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The good news is you can learn to respond rather than react.

Choosing how to respond is the essence of Thriving. First Recognize you’re being reactive. Then, Accept that it’s natural to react—your brain is trying to protect you. From there, Learn what triggered you, and Replace the reaction with a conscious and loving response. Changing habitual reactions is how we evolve.

You change an automatic habit every January. You recognize you typed last year’s date, accept it by saying “of course, that’s what I’m used to”, learn from it and choose the correct date. The more consistently you catch and change it, the faster you develop a new habit.

Apply these steps to other reactions and thriving becomes the habit.

Enjoy…Recognizing, Accepting, Learning, and Replacing.