“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”
—Viktor Frankl
Welcome to spring! It’s the season that is the transition between the cold of winter and the warmth of summer. It’s the time to breathe in the unfurling beauty and to decide how you will proceed into the rest of the year. And that makes it the perfect time to tap into your freedom of choice.
As the renowned Viktor Frankl teaches us, we can make a choice for freedom by taking the space to breathe before reacting to a situation. By pausing and filling our minds and hearts with the consciousness of freedom and the power, this the yoga of breath empowers us in a heartbeat.
There are many, many situations that offer us the opportunity to choose and shift our perspectives; to be free and grow. And have you ever noticed that when you ignore those opportunities, they just keep coming back up in your life? Over and over and over again. The moment you take that breath is the moment for your true power to take charge. The truth is the guiding force in the universe already has your back. Through that force, which also lives within you, you always have a choice to shift the situation and its outcome. You can make a more conscious, intentional and deliberate response from a more balanced perspective. It is in these few seconds that we change the world from the inside out.
This is NOT a call to start beating yourself up for making “bad” decisions in the past. We do the best we can do at the time and can do better the next day. This is, however, a gentle invitation to get for yourself what we all truly want: to be heard and considered. And since you are the center of your universe, who better to listen to you than yourself!
When something happens in your life, particularly something that makes you anxious, angry, or uncomfortable:
- Resist the temptation to speak or react immediately.
- Take a breath. The moment you take that breath, you can choose how to respond.
- Go beyond your initial reaction and listen for what you hear inside, to your higher self.
- Say to yourself, “I allow spirit to guide this situation and move me from fear into love.” Say it as many times as you need until you feel your inner love.
Once you feel that love, whatever happens in the situation, you have already triumphed. You can respond confidently in love and freely celebrate the joyful growth of spring right along with your own personal growth!
