Sometimes life happens so fast and we instantly react out of sheer habit. If we can learn to pause( maybe count to 10 or more) get control, and think about how you want to respond in a positive proactive way, you'll make smarter decisions. Your parents, genes, and environment influence you but they do not make you do anything. You are free to choose. If you could stop, press pause and use some of the below tools, you may make a wiser decision:

1. Self-Awareness: Standing apart from yourself and observing your thoughts and actions.(example: recognizing if you are talking harshly to your mom, it could be because you are fighting with your boyfriend and yet taking it out on your mom). If you recognize this, you can fix or change it and apologize to your mom.

2. Conscience: Listening to your inner voice to recognize right from wrong. (example: many people are cheating on a test or gossiping about someone and you recognize this isn't the right thing to do, and YOU make a better choice and do the right thing...you don't cheat or stick up for the person they are gossiping about).

3. Imagination: Envisioning new possibilities in your future. (example: being disappointed in something but trying to see what you can learn from the situation and looking ahead to something in your future that you have to look forward to). Also, an example could be thinking about what the consequences of your actions may be with the decision you are about to make.

4. Willpower: using your power to choose. (example: having the power to eat healthy, exercise, wake up when the alarm goes off, etc.)

Questions: (press submit assignment to record answer and hit submit assignment again to turn in your answer for a grade)

1. Give examples of specific ways you can use each of the 4 above tools in your life to move towards being more proactive. ( Give 1 example for each tool).