In this Friday Facts episode, I am sharing my thoughts on the difference between reacting and responding.  There’s a big difference between the two and without boundaries, self-care and being clear on your own values it’s easy to find yourself in a constant state of reaction.  When you react to everything you are using your energy to manage, control or fix someone else’s behaviour.  That is energy that you could be using to create change in your own life. 

In today’s episode we discuss:
1) Reaction is defined as a behaviour in a particular way in response to something else.  It can be with hostility, opposition or a contrary course of action. This is not always a conscious choice, more like a subconscious reaction, yet it tends to be a pattern that we are stuck in or repeating. Parenting teens who are yelling back is a great example of this.  Saying less is always more powerful and impactful. These reactions can also be adverse physiological or psychological reactions that literally take away from you and definitely don’t create change in your life. 

2) Responding is still technically a reaction, the difference is that it takes into consideration the desired outcome of the interaction.  It takes into account your boundaries, self-care and the direction that you want the conversation or event to go.  This tends to be an intentional or a conscious response. 

3) A reaction may result in a positive or a negative outcome whereas a response is engineered to produce a positive or a negative outcome.  Reacting is emotional and responding is emotional intelligence. 

Scripting is an incredible exercise that I am opening up for the month of June. I offered this exercise in December and after speaking with clients and listeners and based on the year we have had, I decided to open up the scripting workshop on June 23rd with a link to join. https://www.marshavanw.com/offers/ribbMmY8

Storytelling Bootcamp (we start in June)
https://www.marshavanw.com/offers/sQ8UMqdY?coupon_code=EARLYBIRDSTORYBOOTCAMP

Marsha Vanwynsberghe — Author, Speaker and Life Coach
Marsha is the 6-time Bestselling Author of “When She Stopped Asking Why”.  She shares her lessons as a parent who dealt with teen substance abuse far past the level of normal experimentation.

Through her programs, coaching and live events for women, Marsha is on a mission to teach you how to “Own Your Choices” in your own life.  She teaches women how to own their stories, lead themselves and pay it forward to others by creating businesses that serve, support and impact others