Responding skillfully

The concept of skillful response resonates well with me. It’s often pitched as a benefit to meditation, and I hear it referenced often in guided sessions. Putting it into practice can be difficult, especially for me, as I’m an impulsive, trust-my-gut type. But as I’ve become more mindful and have put some intention behind the practice, I’ve seen the benefits in all aspects of life.

What does it mean to respond to things skillfully? Essentially, it’s simply being mindful and thoughtful when reacting to things. I can’t help but think about it in a literal way, meaning in terms of responding to communication, news, or another person’s words, but I think it’s much broader than that. It’s about responding to whatever life brings you with thought, mindfulness, and intention.

In practice, this looks like taking a beat before an anger- or frustration-fueled response or taking some time before sending that reactionary Slack message or email. I can’t tell you how often I’ve let myself mindlessly respond to something, only to regret it later. Why bring more chaos into an already chaotic world?