How Reactions to Life Events Can Change Your Future

Your reaction to life events can have a BIGG impact on your future. Find out the2 kinds of life events and the 3 types of reactions to them.

Click the player to listen to this episode of The BIGG Success Show Podcast. Below is a summary.

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Have you ever thought about this? – The way you frame the story of your life – how you tell it (to others, and more importantly, to yourself), shapes your future. Reframe your story and you’ll change your life.

We found this thought to be a great reminder to the two of us. We felt you may find it helpful as well.

The 2 Kinds of Life Events

1) Some events happen BY you. Think of them this way:
Something happens because you [fill-in-the-blank].
These are events where you are proactive.

2) Other events happen TO you. Think of them this way:
Because something happens, you [fill-in-the-blank]
These are events where you are reactive.

We share examples in the podcast starting at :36

Remember this…

You can’t always control what happens. However, you can fully control how you respond.

Let’s go the Professor’s whiteboard for: 3 Reactions to Life Events Can Change Your Future.

There are 3 ways to react to the 2 life events…

No Reaction

At one extreme are people who don’t react at all. They put their heads in the sand and hope for the best. This is rarely the best course of action. Or should we say inaction!

Over-Reaction

At the other extreme, there are people who overreact. They turn every molehill into a mountain. Not only is this one situation undesirable, their whole life experience has been a bummer. The odds are stacked against them. Something, or someone, will always stand between them and success. Unfortunately, they’re probably right – because they will sabotage their own success to prove themselves right.

Pro-Reaction

Then there’s the people we call pro-reactive. They face their challenges head on. They maintain a positive attitude. Somehow, someway, they will overcome.

How you talk about your past shapes your future. You can tell your story as a person weighed down by past events. Or you can see yourself rising above them.

And in most cases – even more important than the event itself is how you talk about the event. And, even more importantly, how you talk about it to one audience in particular – You!

BIGG Takeaway

Your self-talk is critical in shaping your future. And a lot of that is driven by the past. So here’s a critical question to ask yourself about how you think (i.e. talk to yourself) about an unpleasant life event or experience from the past…

Is it just one of many times when life was sweet, but then turned bitter?

Is it a tough time that, in spite of it all, turned out positive?

In the first case, you have to FIND a hero. In the second case, YOU ARE the hero of the story, charging toward big success.

George “The Professor” & Mary-Lynn
Co-Founders, BIGG Success