I always say, "I am fully responsible for my life. That's what I choose. That's what I want to do." The matter of the fact is I choose to be proactive. Just so lately I have always listened to people saying that, "I have to do this. I have to do that. I have no choice. I have to be this. I have to be that. etc." So today I am writing a post about "reactive vs proactive" as a sharing.
Proactive people choose to act. Reactive people choose to be acted upon. Reactive people say I have to do it. Circumstances or other people are forcing me to do what I do. I'm not free to choose my own actions. They let life controls them. On the other hand, proactive people know that they are in charge of their life.
The language of reactive people absolves them of responsibility.
Because our attitudes and behaviors flow out of our paradigms, if we use our self-awareness to examine them, we can often see in them the nature of our underlying maps. Our language, for example, is a very real indicator of the degree to which we see ourselves as proactive people.
Reactive Language: There's nothing I can do. That's just the way I am. He makes me so mad.
They won't allow that. I have to do that. I can't. I must. If only.
Proactive Language: Let's look at our alternatives. I can choose a different approach. I control my own feelings. I can create an effective presentation. I will choose an appropriate response. I choose. I prefer. I will.
That language comes from a basic paradigm of determinism. And the whole spirit of it is the transfer of responsibility. I am not responsible, not able to choose my response.
Any NLP practitioners will tell you that your words will be your reality. So listen to your language. Examine what type of person you are because every change starts from awareness. Ask yourself, "Am I always in direct control of my problem? Am I always in charge of my life?" Then decide or not to make a paradigm shift.
At any rate, you can choose to be proactive by first changing your language.
Choose your words wisely. Because..
Your Words = Your Reality.
