Rein it in and Your Ride will be Smoother

It's not as easy as you might think.

Get control over yourself, then others won't bother you. It's the first step in reaching a deeper understanding of how things work. The more that others can irritate you, the less control you have over yourself. Don't give them the control, you must seize the control and exercise it.

Become the master of your domain. You cannot do that if others are the instigators of your reactions. Do not let others control you by controlling your emotions. Entire businesses are set up to take advantage of knee-jerk reactions to things they know will provoke a reaction. Don't be their slave.

Do you get upset at what others say or do, then act in response? Think carefully. Most people do that. In fact, all people may do that at some point. But think about what happened after you reacted. Was it a positive result? Or a negative one?

Perhaps you had a momentary sense of release. You told them off, right? But what was the long-term effect? Was it what you really wanted? Or could it have been better if you had not reacted so swiftly, but instead followed a longer-term plan?

I bet it was the latter in most instances.

Think. Then act. Don't react.

2019