The Space Between

Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.
In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.
-Stephen Covey, The 8th Habit. 

STIMULUS and RESPONSE. 

The space between whatever happens to you and your response to it - therein lies your destiny.

A person says something that rubs you the wrong way...
A friend texts you something that crosses you...
A loved one acts in a way that frustrates you...

No matter what has happened to you, is now happening, or will happen to you in the future, there is a space between those things and your response to them.  Some people's spaces -for whatever reason- are large, others are small.  This does not mean it has to always be this way, however. 

Awareness brings a sense of power; now you have the ability to change.

You have the freedom to choose. 

Have you ever thought about your freedom?

At birth you were given dormant seeds that lay inside of you. Ready for cultivation. 

Seeds that lay ready for the daybreak.  There remains inside of you infinite capabilities.
Author Marianne Williamson wrote a captivating piece about our dormant potential that is worth printing out and keeping on your mirror.  

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us. 

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God. 

Your playing small 
Does not serve the world. 
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking 
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 
As children do. 
We were born to make manifest 
The glory of God that is within us. 

It's not just in some of us; 
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we're liberated from our own fear, 
Our presence automatically liberates others.

STIMULUS and RESPONSE.

You have the power of choice.

You can change the direction of your life.

You can change your future.

YOU.  

CAN CHANGE.

BY.

BECOMING AWARE of the space between whatever happens to you and your response to it.

Therein lies your destiny.

What do you see?

"A man entered a village and went to the monastery on the edge of town, where he was welcomed by an old monk, the wise man of the village. The visitor said, “I am deciding whether I should move here or not. I’m wondering what kind of neighborhood this is. Can you tell me about the people here?”

The old monk said, “Tell me what kind of people lived where you came from.” The visitor said, “Oh, they were highway robbers, cheats and liars.” The monk said, “You know, those are exactly the same kinds of people who live here.” The visitor left the village and never came back.

Half an hour later, another man entered the village. He sought out the wise old man and said, “I’m thinking of moving here. Can you tell me what kind of people live here?” Again the monk said, “Tell me what kind of people lived where you came from.” The visitor said, “Oh, they were the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate, most loving people. I shall miss them terribly. The old monk said, “Those are exactly the kinds of people who live here, too.”

A quote:  "We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are." -Anaïs Nin

In other words, what you see is what you get.

APPLY:  A person's perspective colors their entire life.  Everyone you know is living with an invisible set of sunglasses on their face that shades how they see life around them.  Taken further, you could also add a set of ear buds filtering how one hears and takes in information.  
That said, it becomes critical to understand oneself.  To self reflect.  Self reflection becomes vital to healthy relationships because if one is not in touch with themselves to some degree, then they run the risk of distorting everything around them.  We all think that being broken is the worst thing for us but it is equally risky to be bent.

A question:  Do you relate more with the first or the second traveler?