Mind the Gap

If you've ever ridden the tube (subway) in London, you have certainly seen and heard the cautionary message, "Mind the gap," which is meant to make passengers aware of the gap between the platform and the train. It's not a large space and can easily be stepped over, but the reminders exist because people riding the tube tend to be distracted and, if they aren't paying attention, the gap is just large enough to cause injury or loss of valuables. 

Another kind of gap exists in the realm of emotional reaction. Viktor Frankl--a famous neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor--declared, "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response." I have written recently about indifference and mentioned there the struggle I've had in the past to control my emotional responses. It is easy to let big emotions take over our brains, and to go through life reacting to every little piece of stimulus without checking ourselves. But that's a dangerous place to live. Like the distracted tube passenger, it can really get us in trouble. If we're not diligent to check in with and control our responses, we can cause serious damage to ourselves and others, and we can lose things and people that are truly important to us. But if we're careful to "mind the gap," we can safely and happily move ourselves from where we are to where we really want to be. There is so much power in that space between stimulus and response, and I want to make sure I'm being mindful of the choice I have to control the things/person I can control instead of ceding my power over to things and people I can't control. I cannot control all the things that happen, but in that sacred space, I can control my response to the things happening around me. I have the ability to make that gap as large as I need to make it to ensure I show up in the world the way I truly want to and move forward in ways that are good for me and for others. So, just in case you're going through life like a distracted tube passenger, consider this your reminder to "Mind the gap."  Trust me, it's advice that can create a happier journey for you.