Reaction

“A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually.  One must fight for a life of action, not reaction.”   - Rita Mae Brown

There is a lot of reacting in the world right now.  We’re reacting to tragedy.  We’re reacting to prophecy.  We’re reacting to holiday sales and reacting to holiday stress.  Why are we so compelled to react? 

Reaction, an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event.  Reactions are a response to physical or mental external stimuli.  We can’t avoid outside stimuli.  Perhaps for brief moments we can escape, but invariably the world will get through.  As compelled as we may be to try and create a utopia around ourselves, it won’t happen.  Something will always upset the balance.  Our horses will throw shoes and people we’ve never heard of will make decisions that leave gaping holes in our lives.  We can’t control the stimuli but we can actively prepare.

Reactions tend to be negative.  Since a reaction is a response, something came first.  You’re already one-step behind.  Navigating life a step behind leaves us feeling like we’re always running to catch up.  It isn’t much fun and lately it has a host of people feeling helpless and out of control. 

With horses and life, you know that someday something is going to go “wrong.”  You’ll arrive at the show late, missing half your tack, the wind blowing, and Mr. Sleepy breathing fire.  Will you react by blaming the weather, the traffic, your work schedule or your lack of planning, all while hyperventilating or will you have a plan for how to deal with the circumstance?  That’s the difference between reactive and active thinking.

You obviously cannot plan for everything.  There will be unimaginable circumstances, but if you’ve practiced dealing with situations, your brain is going to handle a new “crisis” a little better.  Take the example of Mr. Sleepy hopping off the trailer breathing fire.  How will you handle the situation?  Will you react by getting upset at the circumstance or will you actively take steps to make the circumstance better?  Stay positive.  There is a lot of power in visualizing your desired outcome.  So Mr. Sleepy is dashing around the dressage warm-up like a barrel horse, ride him like you want the ride to go.  Post slower, breathe deeply, smile!  You’ll be amazed how well actively choosing your ride can make it a reality.

Due to current world circumstances, I wouldn’t feel right ending without mentioning that there are situations that we have absolutely no control over.  No amount of preparation will prepare us for them because they are unimaginable.  However, that doesn’t give us a free pass to react out of pain or anger.  Be actively compassionate, but look to the future not the past.  There is so much more I could say about choosing to be an active thinker both in and out of the saddle, but for now I'm going to leave you with this.  Be active in your life.  Make a difference to those around you, because you choose to, not because they do something to prompt it, and that’s my Fresh Perspective.