The Power to Act

I went to high school with a guy that always reacted.  He was a talented football player.  In fact, he was pretty good at almost any sport I saw him play.  However, he could instantaneously turn from normal competitive to furiously enraged.  All it would take was a purposeful bump as they ran down the court, or "trash talk" said on the football field.  He would instantly react to his opponent, become infuriated, and soon after would do something that he'd regret, generally leading to a penalty or even leading to him being kicked out of the game.  Afterwards, he'd say things like "That idiot.  I hate him.  He thinks he's so cool.  I just want to punch him in the face."

My high school colleague was being controlled by his environment, specifically his opponent.  I knew that the other teams knew that if they "got inside his head" he would do something he'd regret.  They knew they could get him out of the game.  And so they would.  And he'd react.

To React

I've said a few times already that my friend reacted.  So, we need to define it, along with the antonym: act.  Let's start with react.  To react we choose to do what something else is telling us to do.  For example, my high school friend would do exactly what the other team wanted him to do.  They could basically control him because he would choose to react.  

We can react to just about anything, including our emotions.  If I feel tired, I might react to that feeling and be lazy or irritable.  If I feel frustrated, I might react by yelling at my family.  If I feel embarrassed, I might react by running away and hiding.

Reacting is based on the situation.  If the situation is saying I should steal something, then I could react by stealing.  If the situation points towards trying alcohol, then I could react by drinking.  

Reacting is based on following what the situation is dictating.  We choose to be controlled, or manipulated, by it.

Or we can choose to act.

To Act

To act, we choose to follow what we see as right.  We follow what our core--our most basic beliefs--decides is the right thing to do.  This one requires effort.  Reacting is easy.  Acting according to our core is harder.  However, the difference is huge.  When we choose to act, we take away the power that someone or something else has.  If my high school friend had decided to act--and not react--he could have taken the power that his opponents had over him and used it for himself and his team.  This could have changed his entire high school career.

This is one thing that sets us apart from the animals.  They only have the ability to react.  This can help with their survival, but it can also lead to their demise.  Human beings on the other hand have the ability to choose.  Steven R. Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, addresses this.

"Look at the word responsibility--"response-ability"--the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility.  They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior.  Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling."

Responding

If there is something we are absolutely forced to do in this life, it is to respond.  

We can't help it.  We have to respond.  However, that response is our own.  We control it.  We decide.  This means that we cannot blame outside sources for our decisions; rather, we need to see that we have the power to act.  This is what true integrity is: the choice to follow our core values and beliefs even when the situation isn't favorable.  We can choose to have integrity.  We can choose to say no to whatever outside influence is trying to control or manipulate our actions.  This is a God-given gift.  We have this power.  It's up to us to take advantage of it.

A Final Word - Addiction

Some choices are harder than others.  For example, my decision today to take a shower wasn't too difficult even though the couch was pretty comfortable.  But someone struggling with drug addiction, trying to not be controlled by the addiction is a much more difficult choice.  So does that person have the power right then to say no to the addiction?  Maybe, but maybe not.  However, the choice could be between trying to fight it alone (reacting) or going and finding help (acting).  Finding help is harder, but once again, we always have the power to choose.

I believe that choosing to act involves using all of our resources.  We are given friends and family, church and government, to help us choose to act.  It's up to us to do everything we can to be in control, and not be controlled.  If we ignore this, we will by default react, and thus be manipulated and controlled by outside sources.  We must choose to act.