Every morning we wake up we have a decision to make. Do we want to show the world a good side of ourselves or do we want to show the world a not so good side of ourselves? No matter what might be going on in the world around us, be it pandemic, personal crises, or local issues we get to make that decision daily. Oftentimes people may believe that they don’t have a choice, that the world, pandemic, crisis is making them act or do something in a certain way. We may get caught up in the moment and react to what the world is giving us. When we do that, shortly thereafter, we have those moments when we sit back and think ‘I didn’t handle that the best way possible,’ or “I probably could have done better in that moment.’ It is in those moments when we realize we reacted rather than responded to the situation.
To help us try to get the most out of every moment, here is a simple question to ask ourselves each and every day when we wake up. In that moment before our feet hit the floor we need to ask ourselves if I want to show the world the good side of me or the not so good side of me. If we are cognizant of that each and every day as we start our day we may be more likely to be able to effectively respond to the situations we face rather than react. Each of us needs to be able to show the world that there can be good in most situations. People need to see that just because other people may be behaving in a poor manner does not mean that we need to behave poorly. When we can do that we are far more likely to be able to respond rather than react.
So, beginning tomorrow when you awake, before your feet hit the floor ask yourself the question and decide to show the world a good side of you. When the world around us starts to see more people behaving in a respectful, positive manner it should have a cascade effect. We know that poor behavior cascades, just check any recent news reports of riots. Let’s show the world the cascade effect of living positively. Let’s work hard in all situations to respond and not react.
Dr.Dale Shannon – Mandt Faculty
