Some of you may remember the adorable Steve Urkel. He is famous for this question! Sometimes we may say something out of haste, later regretting letting such words loose from our mouth! Yes, we all have had that experience, I would suspect. Stop and calm down. When you have a mouthful to deliver to someone, it is far better to stop and think. It is easier said than done, for sure. The following is a recent OM article I think you may find enlightening. To subscribe to their daily thoughts, email:
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Beyond Reacting |
Remembering to pause and take a breath before we react, can shift the energy of the outcome. We have all had the experience of reacting in a way that was less than ideal upon hearing bad news, or being unfairly criticized, or being told something we did not want to hear. This makes sense because when our emotions are triggered, they tend to take center stage, inhibiting our ability to pause before we speak. We may feel compelled to release the tension by expressing ourselves in some way, whether it's yelling back at the person yelling at us, or rushing to deliver words of comfort to a friend in trouble. However, there is much to be said for teaching ourselves to remember to pause and take a deep breath before we respond to the shocks and insults that can come our way in life. |