I went to the beach yesterday with my son and granddaughter and treated myself to one of my favorite things – a beach nap.

When I awakened, The Grasshopper hopped onto my blanket and uttered these words: “To be offended, you must give your consent.”

I began to muse on that phrase as we swam and caught some waves.

It occurred to me that each time we are offended, it’s by choice. There is a choice point and we choose to be offended.

It’s so easy to start a war with the “offending” party when we pretend that we had nothing to do with being offended. “It’s their fault!”

No, it’s our choice that completes the circuit and turns on our conditioned reaction.

It takes a stimulus and a reaction to tango.

If you’re tired of doing the same old dance, it’s time to choose a new partner.

Some of the best sales people I know choose something other than being offended. They found that the old dance steps got in the way of them making sales. Sales can be brutal depending on your reaction to the vitriol that comes from some prospects. If you complete the circuit, you won’t complete the sale.

The question really is, “Who’s offended?”

It’s the conditioned us that takes offense. We let our conditioning kick in, unchecked, and we find ourselves offended.

We find ourselves offended by the words and deeds of others without offering ourselves a choice.

Imagine your kitchen cabinet for a moment and envision your stack of dinner plates. If the top plate represents your conditioned reaction and you take it every time, you have an idea of how many other choices you ignored.

When you feel your conditioned reaction coming to the top of the stack time after time, it’s time to offer yourself a deeper choice.

Being offended is the same as being wounded. The question you may want to consider is: “How many more bullets do I want to take?”

I hope I’ve been able to convince you that you play a major role in being offended, and if you don’t agree with me, no offense taken.

All the best,

John

LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF
STOP SMOKING FOREVER
SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT EVERY NIGHT
IMPROVE YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE
I LOVE MY BODY
RELAX IN 2 MINUTES
FEEL FOREVER YOUNG
VIRTUAL MASSAGE