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- [00:00]
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It's our choice whether we take the bait or not. And I think what a great sort of way to think about this is the difference between reacting and responding to life. Responding to life means you really do activate the pause. You give yourself a moment to sit back, take a breath before you act on something.
- [00:23]
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What's going on? Podcast family. My name is Michael Chernow and this is the Creatures of Habit podcast. Our habits will make us or they will break us. I've lived on both sides of the tracks and have experienced some of the best and the worst that habits have in store. The decisions we make on a consistent basis truly define who we are as human beings. This episode will be a solo episode where traditionally I interview guests. This is a solo episode where I share with you guys experiences that I've had, things that are relevant in my life today that I think could potentially be interesting for you to hear, things that I simply just want to share or quotes or activities that I've done over the last few weeks that have inspired me. So sit back, relax, and get out your pen and paper because what you hear in this podcast could potentially make.
- [01:21]
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Some big changes in your life. Let's go. What up, y'all? Welcome to another episode of Monday Moments. These are quick, bite sized pieces of content, somewhere between five and ten minutes just to drop a little, you know, a little motivation, maybe a little inspiration on your Monday. If you're listening to this on a Monday, you could be listening to this on any day of the week. But what I wanted to, to really talk about today was taking the bait. Taking the bait. Are you taking the bait? This is something that has come up for me many times over the years. Some would call, you know, like a great example of taking the bait is like haters on social media. They're trying to get under your skin. They're trying to get you. They're trying to get a reaction, trying to get a response out of you. Something that really can take you off your game, can derail you, can take you out of your flow. There's a lot of people that like to throw bait out there, and it's our opportunity or it's our, it's our choice whether we, we take the bait or not. And I think what a great sort of way to think about this is the difference between reacting and responding to life. Responding to life means you really do activate the pause. You give yourself a moment to like, sit back, take a breath before you act on something. I have really struggled with taking the bait at times in my life. Like over and over again from the same person or the same people. And sometimes we really have to look at our patterns. If we're in an argument or if we end up in an argument with the same person over and over again, it's probably because they've said something that bothers you, that's, that's gotten under your skin that you're now running, that you've, you've, you've, you've chosen to, to take action on. And you have the choice to. When that trigger happens, that thing that makes you want to be like, actually, you know what, you don't have to do that. I like to. I was talking to a group of guys the other night and I made the analogy, like, be a dolphin. Dolphins never take the bait. Fishermen never hook a dolphin. They never, you never hear of a fisherman saying, yeah, I hooked a dolphin. They hook sharks, they hook tuna, they hook, they hook all sorts of other fish. But for some reason, the dolphin sees the bait in the water and they look at it and they go, nah, that's bait. That's not, that's not an actual, that's not, that's like, that's got a hook in there that they're trying to, they're trying to hook me. I'm not going to take the bait. And I thought that was a funny analogy, right? Be a dolphin. Don't take the bait. When your wife or your husband says something that, you know, grinds your gears, you have a choice. You can take a breath and just choose your battle, or you can opt in and most likely derail your day. It can happen with an employee at work, it can happen with your employer. It can happen with a parent. It can happen with a troll on social media. Taking the bait never, ever works out. It just doesn't. And so I wanted to put this on your radar, on your desk, in your path today, to really just reflect a little bit. Like, are there people that you consistently get into it with? And if so, is it because you are not utilizing self awareness enough to be able to say, you know what? I'm not gonna actually, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna take the bait on that one this time. In many cases, it's a pattern. And in many cases, people that throw bait out there thrive in that chaos. They're looking for it. They want a fight, they want to fight. That is a comfortable place for them. It sounds counterintuitive, but it's actually true and real. A lot of people actually thrive in that uncomfortable, chaotic, negativity so I wanted to put that on your radar today. It's something that I have noticed about myself, something that I've had to be more mindful of, and I hope that was valuable for you on this beginning of the week. I love you guys. I appreciate you share the podcast with a friend or family, someone that you think could potentially use this little tidbit. Have a great week. Until the next one, y'all. Peace.