Chapter 8
Life-Altering Principle #2
Reclaim the Canyon
Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
—Viktor E. Frankl
The interactions you face on a daily basis can often be trying. Some guy cuts you off in the middle of the highway. Your boss is on a rampage because the company just lost a big account, and your desk is located closest to his office. Your neighbor's dog ruined your prized rose bush. Many of these events are beyond your control, but what you can control is your response to them.
Most people focus on the times when things are being said or done, but the periods in between are just as critical. It's in these “areas of silence” that you can choose the best path for you. Leveraging this sacred space into a powerful asset will enable you to live the life you desire and Reclaim the Canyon.
Reclaim the Canyon is the principle of establishing space between life as it happens and your reaction to those events.
The Power of the Pause
When faced with adversity—such as missing a bus that makes you late for work or having a heated exchange with a friend—how do you normally react? Do you immediately let the incident take full control of your mind, body, and spirit? Is your day pretty much over from that point forward? Our reactions are often similar to how we step over a crack in the sidewalk. They happen swiftly, without thought, and with no regard for what we might be stepping ...
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