|
Our experiences color everything. The events of the past can
have a profound effect on how we see our lives now and what we choose to
believe about our world. Our past experiences can also influence our
emotional reactions and responses to present events. Each of us reacts to
stimulus based on what we have learned in life. There is no right or wrong to
it; it is simply the result of past experience. Later, when our strong
feelings have passed, we may be surprised at our reactions. Yet when we face
a similar situation, again our reactions may be the same. When we understand
those experiences, we can come that much closer to understanding our
reactions and consciously change them.
Between stimulus and reaction exists a fleeting moment of thought. Often,
that thought is based on something that has happened to you in the past. When
presented with a similar situation later on, your natural impulse is to
unconsciously regard it in a similar light. For example, if you survived a
traumatic automobile accident as a youngster, the first thing you might feel
upon witnessing even a minor collision between vehicles may be intense panic.
If you harbor unpleasant associations with death from a past experience, you
may find yourself unable to think about death as a gentle release or the next
step toward a new kind of existence. You can, however, minimize the intensity
of your reactions by identifying the momentary thought that inspires your
reaction. Then, next time, replace that thought with a more positive
one.
Modifying your reaction by modifying your thoughts is difficult, but it can
help you to see and experience formerly unpleasant situations in a whole new
light. It allows you to stop reacting unconsciously. Learning the reason of
your reactions may also help you put aside a negative reaction long enough to
respond in more positive and empowered ways. Your reactions and responses
then become about what's happening in the present moment rather than about
the past. As time passes, your negative thoughts may lose strength, leaving
only your positive thoughts to inform your healthy reactions.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment