Gil Fronsdal leads a Guided Meditation Dharmette: Responses vs Reactions. It's useful to consider, the only thing we ever really possess is our responses.
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Response to situations. Nothing else is really our possession. The distinction between response vs reaction: Reaction is like we're operating on automatic pilot, Something happens then there's reaction, we don't even think about it or there's no self-reflection, we can't help ourselves it just comes out of us. A response in contrast, is something done with presence, understanding, self-awareness and with a degree of choice that this is the wise thing to do, choosing this is the wise thing to do.
A reaction is not something you posses, it's just something that moves through you. If anything is you then it's your choice to have a response. And we practice to have a greater ability to respond, greater capacity to be present at the moment of choice.
It is a choice, it is a response, to be mindful.
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