Fight or Flight

I am both. A fighter and a flighter. If that is a word. This term comes from the brains reaction to stress or a situation that is troublesome. Animals either pick a fight if they think they can win or they run away. And as humans, we choose our reactions to a threat on an instinctive level. If you are tired, this reptilian part of your brain has a shorter fuse. That's why people honk more in their cars when they are stressed. Or you hear that the crime rate goes up during heat waves. The reptilian brain is in overdrive. Overloaded by fear and threat, you are no longer in complete control of your actions.

The whole concept of action versus reaction is tied into this brain stuff. With all the stress people soak up or choose to soak up during the day they react and have to pick up the pieces. You see more fighting than healthy solutions.

For some reason, this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm4iU0yx9GY that my sister sent me about what people need to do in dating or job searching struck me as both funny and true and sort of connected to fight or flight. When we're stretching or putting ourselves out there we often bump into fear. What do you do if someone knocks you down or gets in the way? Do you fight or fly away? Do you fight when you are rejected and keep moving towards your goal if you don't get an interview or a call back to a job you wanted? Can you keep your sense of humor about situations where you put yourself out in the world and be able to avoid that instinct that can often get you in trouble.

I like to think that music helps me keep a sense of humor and surround myself with people that make the journey fun. When I do, I stay out of my reptile brain and I am more likely to achieve what I set out to accomplish. And, yes, we all get knocked down every once in awhile it's what we do when we're down that makes us successful.