Soda Bottle Essay

Don’t be a Soda Bottle: Be Proactive When you face minor inconveniences in your day-to-day life, do you complain about it and say how unfair it is? Chances are venting your anger at your mom or brother didn’t help you resolve the issue. The first habit in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey, can teach you ways to respond to your frustration in ways that will help you resolve your problems, instead of forcing your mom to ground you for the next week. The habit talks about being proactive instead of reactive. Being proactive means you take charge for your life, accepting responsibility and consequences, whereas reactive behavior is blaming others for everything that goes wrong in your life and acting like a victim of life. Proactive people act on values and think before they act, …show more content…
For instance, if a shopper at a grocery store is being obnoxious and it’s your job to help them, but you react by yelling at them, you’re probably going to be fired. On the other hand, if you act calm and collected, your boss may see your potential and you could earn a raise or promotion. Imagine a reactive person as a bottle of soda and a proactive person as a bottle of water, as you shake both of them and add pressure and stress to both, only the soda will explode and make a mess. Don’t fret, though, if you are more inclined to be a soda bottle, you can change how you react by simply pausing and using a “power tool” you were born with to help you decide what to do. This “toolbox” includes self-awareness, to stand apart from yourself and think about your thoughts and actions; imagination, to envision different outcomes; your conscience, to tell you the difference between right and wrong; and willpower, so you have the power to choose how to act. In choosing to stop and think about your actions and decisions before you act- and consequently taking responsibility and control of your life- you can change your life for the better and adopt