What is the difference between a reaction and a response? How quickly does it take for you to react to something? How long does it take for you to respond to something? How does it feel in your body when you react? How does it feel when you respond? What is the typical end result when you react? What is the typical end result when you respond?
Yes, there certainly is a difference between a reaction and a response not only in end results and feelings but in how they both are generated in your being. A reaction happens out of defense and is created when our bodies are in what is known as defense physiology. The information comes into our bodies and travels into the spinal cord (and sometimes up to the hind brain) and very quickly a reaction is produced. A prime example is the knee jerk reaction. A rubber mallet is struck against your knee ligaments, the energy is communicated to the spinal cord, and almost instantaneously a reaction is produced. Other examples of reactions are when something happens in our environment and we see them as being a threat, perhaps our partner yells at us or we are worried about financial failure, in both of these examples the information travels up to the base of the brain stem, the hind brain and a survival reaction is produced. Whatever the trigger all reactions are quick, use lower brain function and are all based on previous pre-programmed patterns. Reactions tend to reproduce themselves over and over.
Responses on the other hand, happen when we open in a growth physiology. The response happens much slower as the information is going to come into us and travel all the way up the spine, through to the mid brain (where our emotional state is going to be considered) and then up into the fore brain (where conscious thought creative ideas, perspective of past and future all live). The interconnections in the fore brain are numerous and very complex. A plethora of possibilities are all available to us. When we are open in growth physiology we are able to assess all of the information, compile it with all that we know and all that we feel, and then create a response that is unique to each situation. Responses allow us and our situations to grow into something new.
I encourage you on a moment to moment basis to breath, feel your situations, allow yourself time to integrate the energy of your experiences and then respond from your higher brain your highest good. Search for opportunities to grow. Once you get to the higher brain there are literally thousands of possibilities for growth. Choose the one that serves your highest good!
Have a great weekend.
Cheers
Dr. Norm
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