How You Respond

21^st century gurus of the marketplace have put a large amount of personal stock in articulating the now ubiquitous quotation of Epictetus:

            “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

A modern version from the universe of sports is given by Lou Holtz:

            “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine

            what you become after the game … whether you are a winner or

            loser.”                                                                                   

These are cogent enough thoughts to stand on their own weight. 

However, the most critical, unstated assumption here is that you have to have the CAPACITY TO RESPOND to have any chance at all of becoming a WINNER; if you are out of shape, don’t have the endurance, and haven’t done enough 300 lb. bench presses, you’re not going to make it in the universe of football. 

You have to have APPROPRIATE REACTABILITY – RESPONSE-ABILITY – before you can react/respond in the most appropriate way. 

NOTE: Acquisition of capacity requires both EARLY ENGAGEMENT and EXHAUSTIVE PREPARATION. 

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:  Prepare for the challenges of life so you can respond appropriately when they break into your world through the permeable time and circumstance barriers that surround you. 

I believe this is the other half of what Epictetus really meant.  It’s not just a matter of holding “reactive” intentions or an “It will not stop me!” attitude; it’s a matter of owning an “It will not stop me!” capacity.  Quartermaster