“Between stimulus and response, there is space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
— Viktor Frankl
Many of you who know our work know of our passion for the Fundamental Pause. We call it the Fundamental Pause because it is indeed a business fundamental. In the world of work, the ability to interrupt our typical reactions so that we can respond is profoundly powerful. But as Frankl so eloquently states, this is not just about work but about our personal freedom.
Let’s explore this quote more deeply:
Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
It is sometimes hard to believe that between the things that are coming at us and our reactions there is a space. We cannot tell you the number of times clients have insisted there is not a moment, their reactions are instantaneous. Yet, we know that there is a space and claiming that space, finding it and mining it is the key to your freedom.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In the Fundamental Pause, we teach people to grab that space by taking a breath, a sip of water, shifting in their seat, or stepping out to the restroom, so that they can ask themselves: “Is what I am about to do or say in alignment with my goals?” In that question is the opportunity to shift from reactivity—what you always do—to choosing your response to how you will move forward on the things that are important to you. To you!
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Once we shift from reacting to responding in ways that are in alignment with our goals, we have true freedom. Think about it this way. If, when someone is snarky, you react and are snarky back when being calm and professional will open up new doors—you want to choose to respond with calm so that you create the freedom of those new doors. Or, if someone asks something of you and you react by doing whatever they ask, regardless of whether or not you believe it is right, then you lose the freedom to choose to move forward on your own behalf.
The space between stimulus, the things coming at you, and response—or, as we would say, reactivity—is the space that opens up your opportunity to truly move forward in ways that are important to you and to the people who rely on you.
Spend some time this week exploring how you can more quickly find that space.
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