Optimal Response Initiative (ORI) Civilian Version

ORI is about building a stable foundation upon which one can optimally respond to themselves and others in ordinary and extra-ordinary situations. In order to do so one must establish a framework from which context is considered. Context is key if one desires to break out of the cycle of knee-jerk reactions surrounded by others doing the same. How does one do something optimally different? ORI begins with a conversation about the pros and cons of learning ORI Skills. The pros are, you are doing this work; the cons are you are doing this work, and change, growth, and discomfort will join you along your ORI Journey. However, also embedded within ORI are experiential learning exercises intentionally set up for self-reflection and practical application to increase one's resiliency, along with the quality of one's response and ultimately, their life!
Dr. Seymour uses her Optimal Continuum Response Line, a visual that illustrates the main goal of ORI: to identify where upon the ORI Continuum Line one is and in which direction one desires to move. One can move to the left towards "worst" or they can move to the right towards "better", "BETTER", and "OPTIMAL". Whether one is at a lower case better or a capital case BETTER is not as important as in which direction they are moving.
Learning ORI skills are much like replacing an on/off light switch (all on/all off; all right/all wrong; all good/all bad) with a dimmer switch. The great thing about a dimmer switch is if you still need to punch it "on" quickly, you can; however, most of the time in our everyday lives, a dimmer switch is more realistic because, depending on the context of a situation, one may need to dial their response up or down.

OUR POWER TO CHOOSE OUR RESPONSE
"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
- Victor Frankl

"In order to have the power to choose our response, however, we need to be well informed about the many components that influence our responses. ORI covers them all by combining common sense, insight, and practical tools!"
- Kristina Seymour