“Setbacks are inevitable; misery is a choice.”   – Stephen Covey

We live, and work, in a complex world.  Our lives are marked by continued events . . . events that require us to respond.  We strive to respond with a discipline-driven, above the line response.

We encounter a myriad of opportunities to interact with other people.  Each encounter, each conversation with others is an interface of interconnected responses.  My response creates an event for others . . . and it goes on and on.

We face inevitable setbacks and challenges each and every day.  We connect with individuals that may not share our values; we communicate with others that are default-driven.  We deal with people who live their lives below the line.  We face setbacks; we live with broken relationships and untrustworthy people.

It is easy . . . it can be a default mindset . . . to be miserable.  As Covey reminds us, “misery is a choice.”  You can respond by dwelling on the broken, by obsessing on the negative.  Or, you can respond by pulling yourself away from the dark and into the light.  Yes, there are times and people when your best response, when the best available “R”, is to simply walk away.