Extraordinary Reactions

One of my favorite lines from Braveheart is “Every man dies, but not every man truly lives.” Much of society allows circumstances dictate who they are and what they do. They limit their options because they believe a lie that what they want isn’t within their grasp.

Extraordinary lives don’t allow circumstances and environment to dictate who they are or what they experience. They create habits of consistently choosing to see opportunity in difficulty and abundance in the midst of scarcity.

Others have habits of letting circumstances dictate quality of life. If their plan doesn’t work, they pull out. Others make a new plan and keep going, no matter the obstacles that stand in their way.

Some are incapacitated by loss, while others choose to learn from the experience and create new possibilities. Some feel trapped by lack of finances. Others see it as an opportunity to test their creativity and problem solving skills.

For as long as I can remember, my father often asked “Is this a problem or an opportunity for solution?” After years of conditioning myself to that question, I’ve created a habitual reaction of seeing an opportunity for creativity in every problem that arises. It’s my first reaction, and it gives me more confidence the more I practice it.

I’m a big proponent of living life deliberately, which means I am purposeful and deliberate about how I react to the circumstances I encounter, good or bad.

I’ve always lived in my own world, as my parents will attest. I believe we create our own realities by what we choose to believe and let our minds dwell on. Therefor I have no room for worry or doubt.

At the end of the day, I believe our lives are defined by how we react to our experiences.