“When you shift your perspective stories, meanings, feelings and even behaviors can change.”

Meaning as a Derivative of Perspective

Our perspective often shapes our emotions and actions.

Consider a bad breakup: Initially, it feels devastating, but years later, it might become a source of amusement.

This shift in perspective changes the meaning of the event, which in turn influences our feelings, behaviors, and outcomes.

Introducing: The Behavior Echo-System

The Behavior Echo-System, a new behavior model, illustrates how three key influencers are interconnected through our emotions and feelings:

Thinking/Story: Our thoughts and beliefs. These are the internal narratives we rely on to plan, predict, and explain events.

Behaviors/Habits/Skills: The actions we take and the habits and skills we develop.

Environment: Our surroundings, including people and places. While we can influence our environment, it also impacts us and our behaviors.

These three components continuously affect one another, creating a perpetual cycle.

Enter: Response-Ability

We can't always control what happens to us, but we can almost always choose how we respond. This is known as "response-ability."

Emotionally mature individuals often manage to choose their responses to frustrating, challenging, and stressful events.