Paws for Thought

Paws for Thought

A rabbit darted out in front of me last week as I was driving home in the dark and I jammed on my brakes to avoid hitting it. If I had taken time to think about my reaction, the rabbit would have been stew for sure.

Reacting is a necessary, life saving mechanism of every day living: Someone throws a missile at you and you duck; You put your big toe into a bath full of scalding water and you draw it out in an instant with a sharp intake of breath.

Reacting without thought can be a saviour... but it can also get us into hot water. Do you recall a time when you replied without thinking or over-reacted without reason. Once those syllables leave our lips at the speed of light there is no retracting: a fast and thoughtless word, spoken in anger, is like a sword through the heart.

The alternative to reacting is responding.

Reacting is unconscious and automatic whereas responding is conscious, thoughtful and measured. Responding means giving your attention to the moment, digging deeper, spending time, opening yourself up to what is happening, what is being said, what is being implied so that when you open your mouth - when you respond - your thoughts are articulated in such a way that the recipient is given your complete and undivided attention.

Think of someone you know who thinks before they speak. How do you normally regard that person? Do you value their opinion?

There is a time and a place for knee-jerk reaction. But the next time you are about to run someone over with your rhetoric, pause for thought and respond with thoughtful intention and there’s a good chance you’ll both be happy bunnies.