
I was thinking about the one thing that is most important for living your best life. And today that one thing is to: Zip It!
By Zip It I mean to refrain from reacting when in communication with others. The key word here is: reacting. When you react, you speak without connecting to your values. You deny yourself the opportunity to check in and respond to the other person while being connected to the best version of yourself. When you operate from the best version of yourself you are more aware of yourself and others. You are silent when listening. You reflect back what you are hearing. You validate the other by letting them know you hear them. You seek to know more.
This tip of the day to Zip It speaks to the power of pause. If you know me, you know that I share that Pausing is your Super Power! And if I could give you a hero's cape right now, it would be emblazoned with the letter P! When you practice the power of pausing, you attract the people and opportunities that you seek into your life like a magnet. It is rare to be in the presence of someone who is not reactive and offers a gentle, safe, open space for others to share. You can become that person.
Let's look at the differences between reacting and responding. When you react, your actions are automatic and occur without being mindfully aware. Reactions have their place and certainly are valid and attributable to our survival as a species. We react to stay out of harm. We react to protect others from danger. We react and make split-second decision that are often deeply inspired and turn out to be life changing. There is a place in life for reactivity.
Emotional reactivity is a little different. My tip of the day to zip-it refers to when you are being emotionally reactive. It takes presence of mind and the ability to be aware of your emotions in order to combat emotional reactivity. You may respond reactively because it feels like you are in survival mode and any other choice could lead to you being harmed. When you are mindfully aware of your thoughts and can feel the sensations of your emotions building in your body you have the power to pause. After you pause, take a breath or change your environment or your physiology you then have the power to respond. But before you respond -

When you respond, you are responsible. You are responsible to yourself and others. If you feel excited about becoming this next best version of yourself, please reach out to me and let's get started on your journey with me as your coach.
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