{"id":5780,"date":"2020-05-25T08:36:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T12:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/?p=5780"},"modified":"2020-05-21T16:42:52","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T20:42:52","slug":"choose-to-respond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/","title":{"rendered":"What Can You Control?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"What<\/a><\/p>\n

Stress is Mostly Self-Created<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Happiness Principle<\/a>** #7 says, <\/strong><\/p>\n

Choose to Respond: <\/em><\/strong>What happens is going to happen, regardless. Accept constant, discontinuous change as reality and instead of reacting, respond with curiosity. <\/em><\/p>\n

Wow, when I created these principles, I had no idea how useful they\u2019d be 17 years later during a pandemic!\u00a0Let\u2019s take a moment to go back to basics:<\/strong> what you experience in life is about 10% what happens and 90% how you interpret it, give it meaning, and choose\u2013or not\u2013to dance with it.<\/p>\n

I get that there is real pain out there<\/strong> — people whose jobs have dissolved, loved ones separated, entire industries imploding, and of course the illness and death caused by the virus.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, let\u2019s notice that most of the stress and \u201csuffering\u201d comes from arguing with what\u2019s real<\/strong> and, more to my point, related to our desire or attempts to control things that are beyond our control.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t change the mechanics of viral transmission.<\/strong> We can\u2019t change that the media is focused on bringing us all the bad news with trumpets and glitter. We can\u2019t change the climate or politics or make everyone around us comply with our narrative on mask-wearing.<\/p>\n

The truth is (excuse my language) NO ONE KNOWS WTF IS HAPPENING and every time you insist otherwise you are creating your own stress.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t MAKE anything happen.\u00a0All that\u2019s available to you is to ask, \u201cwhat CAN I do?\u201d and spend your time there.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choose To Respond<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Take a closer look at the opening graphic.\u00a0You cannot control other people, so glaring at them or arguing with or shaming them in social media will only create frustration. Better options:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0CHOOSE<\/strong> to give your attention and energy to what you CAN do<\/strong><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Get enough<\/strong> sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Move your<\/strong> body<\/strong> (because it keeps your brain healthy and stress under control).<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Make responsible food choices<\/strong>. And if that means daily chocolate, enjoy the hell out of it.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If you can only find two hours of productive work time, do what you can<\/strong> in those two hours.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When your kids (or parents or SO) make you consider murder, hug them<\/strong> and remember they have as little control over you as you do over them. So, love them<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Get fresh air<\/strong>, even if it\u2019s only from the one window in your tiny flat.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Say Thank You<\/strong> for everything you do have.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When you have a really sucky day, ask, \u201cwhat did I learn today?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Pause regularly to Breathe on Purpose<\/strong> and notice that when you pause and center, everything else falls away for at least that moment.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0Finally, trust yourself<\/strong>. Who knows what will happen tomorrow, or next week, or next year? YOU CANNOT CONTROL THAT. Trust yourself to do what you need to do right now to make it through the next moment, then the next one, and the one after that.<\/p>\n

Because whatever\u2019s going to happen is going to happen whether you allow it or you argue with it<\/strong>, and the former choice makes it a lot easier to dance with what shows up.<\/p>\n

Stress is Mostly Self-Created Happiness Principle** #7 says, Choose to Respond: What happens is going to happen, regardless. Accept constant, discontinuous change as reality and instead of reacting, respond with curiosity. Wow, when I created these principles, I had no idea how useful they\u2019d be 17 years later during a pandemic!\u00a0Let\u2019s take a moment to … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5796,"featured_media":5781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,119,34,274,228],"tags":[146,290,470,51,526,120,527,30,41,60],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Can You Control? - The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this uncertain time, you can't control a virus, but you can control how you respond to it. By following Happiness principle #7, you choose to respond.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Can You Control? - The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this uncertain time, you can't control a virus, but you can control how you respond to it. By following Happiness principle #7, you choose to respond.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/theexecutivehappinesscoach\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-25T12:36:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-21T20:42:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marcia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JimSmithOnline\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@JimSmithOnline\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marcia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marcia\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea29ffd1a9614bef06a6d38b1b8e5440\"},\"headline\":\"What Can You Control?\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-25T12:36:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-21T20:42:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\"},\"wordCount\":547,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"13 Principles of Happiness\",\"changing habits\",\"Choose to Respond\",\"Choose your attitude\",\"Control Stress\",\"Everyday Happiness\",\"everyday happiness principle\",\"Happiness\",\"Stress Management\",\"Tips for Happiness\"],\"articleSection\":[\"About Happiness\",\"Everyday Happiness\",\"Happiness\",\"Happiness Tips\",\"Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\",\"name\":\"What Can You Control? - The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-25T12:36:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-21T20:42:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"In this uncertain time, you can't control a virus, but you can control how you respond to it. By following Happiness principle #7, you choose to respond.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg\",\"width\":480,\"height\":480,\"caption\":\"What Can I Control\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Can You Control?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/\",\"name\":\"The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae\",\"description\":\"Happiness is a decision, not an event!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Executive Happiness Coach\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2018\/05\/tehc-banner-logo-800w.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2018\/05\/tehc-banner-logo-800w.png\",\"width\":800,\"height\":212,\"caption\":\"The Executive Happiness Coach\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/theexecutivehappinesscoach\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/JimSmithOnline\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theexecutivehappinesscoach\/\",\"https:\/\/linkedin.com\/in\/theexecutivehappinesscoach\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/ideator13\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea29ffd1a9614bef06a6d38b1b8e5440\",\"name\":\"Marcia\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c63889c1891926ddbe33644c5fe05f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c63889c1891926ddbe33644c5fe05f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Marcia\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Can You Control? - The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae","description":"In this uncertain time, you can't control a virus, but you can control how you respond to it. By following Happiness principle #7, you choose to respond.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Can You Control? - The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae","og_description":"In this uncertain time, you can't control a virus, but you can control how you respond to it. By following Happiness principle #7, you choose to respond.","og_url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/","og_site_name":"The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/theexecutivehappinesscoach","article_published_time":"2020-05-25T12:36:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-05-21T20:42:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":480,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marcia","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@JimSmithOnline","twitter_site":"@JimSmithOnline","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marcia","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/"},"author":{"name":"Marcia","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea29ffd1a9614bef06a6d38b1b8e5440"},"headline":"What Can You Control?","datePublished":"2020-05-25T12:36:06+00:00","dateModified":"2020-05-21T20:42:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/"},"wordCount":547,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg","keywords":["13 Principles of Happiness","changing habits","Choose to Respond","Choose your attitude","Control Stress","Everyday Happiness","everyday happiness principle","Happiness","Stress Management","Tips for Happiness"],"articleSection":["About Happiness","Everyday Happiness","Happiness","Happiness Tips","Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/","url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/","name":"What Can You Control? - The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg","datePublished":"2020-05-25T12:36:06+00:00","dateModified":"2020-05-21T20:42:52+00:00","description":"In this uncertain time, you can't control a virus, but you can control how you respond to it. By following Happiness principle #7, you choose to respond.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg","width":480,"height":480,"caption":"What Can I Control"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2020\/05\/choose-to-respond\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Can You Control?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/","name":"The Executive Happiness Coach\u00ae","description":"Happiness is a decision, not an event!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#organization","name":"The Executive Happiness Coach","url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2018\/05\/tehc-banner-logo-800w.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2018\/05\/tehc-banner-logo-800w.png","width":800,"height":212,"caption":"The Executive Happiness Coach"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/theexecutivehappinesscoach","https:\/\/x.com\/JimSmithOnline","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theexecutivehappinesscoach\/","https:\/\/linkedin.com\/in\/theexecutivehappinesscoach","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/ideator13"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea29ffd1a9614bef06a6d38b1b8e5440","name":"Marcia","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c63889c1891926ddbe33644c5fe05f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c63889c1891926ddbe33644c5fe05f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Marcia"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/files\/2020\/05\/179-What-I-Can-Control.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5780"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5796"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5780"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5789,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5780\/revisions\/5789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Click above or here<\/a> to download a framable pdf of all 13 Principles to post on your fridge or home\/work office as a reminder!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"