Decisions Decisions

R or R

I call mine the five-second rule.  I strive to wait five seconds when responding to emotional, sarcastic, or sensitive subjects.  I literally do the countdown in my head.  I wish I could say I have a 100% success rate but that is not the case.  Experience has taught me the first thing that pops into my head is typically less than favorable or abrasive.  It is almost always a retaliatory response and ego based.  During a recent discussion on how the cut down game “Your Mama” can escalate, my friend used the term R or R.  He said, “You have a choice to react or respond.” 

Isn’t that so true though?  In most every situation we encounter, we have a choice to react or respond.  When someone is rude or hurts our feelings, we can choose to react with the same venom and prolong the bad situation or respond indicating our feelings were hurt.  If there is a physical event, then a reaction to avoid is appropriate.   One is not right or wrong as the situation dictates whether you choose to react or respond, but the one common thing is the ability to choose.  Are you primarily reactionary or a responder?  There is indeed a difference.