While we cannot control events in our lives, we can control how we perceive and relate to them. There is a difference between an experience and our response to it. In the moment between the “stimulus” and “response,” we can access choice. We are most effective and powerful when we use awareness to see the present moment with clarity and choose the most appropriate response rather than react from impulse or habitual conditioning. Unconscious or impulsive reactions can undermine individual or group objectives. With a fit mind, we can see habitual patterns of reacting, understand and manage those patterns, and choose a response that will maximize long-term goals.
A fit mind does not rely on a cookie-cutter approach to solving problem. Instead, it relies on its capacity to respond to whatever arises in the moment with wisdom and balance. Thus, with a fit mind, we can face the ambiguity and uncertainty of extreme stress environments with the self-confidence borne of inner preparation. As Sun Tzu says, “These are the victories of the military lineage. They cannot be transmitted in advance.”
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