Day 1: Learning to Choose My Response (Delta7 habits + relationship)
Our first Life Class on Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People began with something as simple and fun as pairing up French + Fries, Sev + Khaman, and sharing our pet peeves as an ice breaking activity. Little did I know that the day would soon move from laughter to some honest self-reflection. The first activity was drawing our perfect life where I drew a table surrounded by family and friends, my favourite food, music, UNO, Jenga and Sequence, along with Bharatanatyam class, a life filled with the people and little things that make me happy. It made me realise that my idea of a perfect life isn’t really about having more, but about having more moments that matter.
Then came the harder questions: What is stopping me from living that life? What am I struggling with? I found myself writing things I don’t always acknowledge i.e. mindlessly spending time on my phone, not slowing down, worrying about things outside my control, seeking validation, and dwelling on past experiences. Seeing these thoughts on paper felt strangely vulnerable. The day’s biggest lesson was Habit 1: Be Proactive. I understood that being proactive isn’t about controlling everything around me. It is about recognising that I can choose how I respond, even when I cannot choose what happens.
Our discussion on paradigm shifts made this even clearer. The story of the father and his children on the subway showed us how quickly our judgement can change when we understand someone’s circumstances. Sometimes, we aren’t reacting to the truth, we are reacting to the story we’ve created in our minds. Between team games, a debate on “Can money buy happiness?” happened and I was in the ‘against’ team, trying to establish that money is important but not a means to all happiness. The reading of excerpts from Covey’s book brought clarity about habits. It became a lesson about myself. Maybe becoming a better version of myself doesn’t begin with changing the world around me. Maybe it begins with pausing before I react, listening to my inner voice, letting go of what I cannot control, and consciously choosing the person I want to be.
There was a shift in the room when we discussed a particular image and the image led us to discover our viewpoints and perspectives. Someone saw a young lady, an eagle, or an old woman.
The facilitators were all ears and very engaging. They introduced us to these concepts we never would have reflected on by ourselves. The transitions to different topics with small games became very interesting. Their personal anecdotes were worth listening to. Very grateful and thankful!