WELL MIND
about what a useful response is (ie. respond unconsciously). That is like being a pinball being pinged around a machine by the moods and emotions of the day. That type of response leads to what I call “chaos thinking”. Let me give you an example. If the news is imparting bad information (stimulus) and you respond with a state of fear or panic, that leads directly to chaos thinking. This lends itself to blowing things out of proportion. Instead, when facing such stimulus and you respond by making a conscious decision about what is a useful response, this will lead to you making a courageous decision around beliefs and actions to take (response). To progress, the next question is what is the most useful thing to believe about your reality. This thinking leads you to discover what is really important and gets results. THE “SIMPLE SHIFT” TO COURAGE How do we start to execute Useful Thinking and become more courageous in tackling obstacles and adversity? It is to be “conscious” and make conscious decisions. Being conscious puts you in control of how you will respond to the many situations you deal with every day, instead of falling into a state of panic and victim behavior and living in a state of unconscious response where you let emotions control your mood and actions at every turn. Here is how it typically works … You are put in a situation (stimulus) and you respond to that situation (response). Generally, people respond all day to stimulus without thinking
Today is a world of media predicting doom and gloom. We have politicians who yell at each other and encourage chaos thinking. This is the time to step back and think about useful responses to the adversity in your life. Let me ask you: • •
What would be the most useful, courageous decision you could make with the information that you are receiving? How would that change your behaviour? Within the realm of what is possible, what is the most courageous stance you could take based on your values and belief system?
This does not mean to take unnecessary risks. Instead, I am encouraging you to be conscious about your decisions and responses. Part of the wisdom of courage is to pick your battles wisely – do your best to understand what is going on from your own perspective and make sure that you are in control of your response.
Chris Helder is an Australian international keynote speaker, business communication expert, master storyteller and bestselling author. He is the bestselling author of three books, The Ultimate Book of Influence, Useful Belief - which is one of the highest-ever-selling Australian business books – and Cut The Noise, about achieving better results with greater focus.
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Chrishelder.com.au
