One difficult aspect of life is mastering our emotions. The concept of remaining calm in spite of what happens is easy … to agree with. Doing it is a much different thing.
What happens when we allow ourselves to panic? We instantly lose sight of the obvious, forget everything we have learned, and we become a liability to ourselves and others. Panic is the most common cause of death among new people to scuba diving.
What occurs when we allow ourselves to become angry? Our reasoning facilities shut down, we say things we don’t mean, and we fight people who could help us. Anger is cancer to the mind. A relationship killer.
When we become frightened every thought we have is biased in favor of failing and we lose battles before they begin.
To be a winner we must think like a winner.
Does a winner cave in at speed bumps? Does a winner give up when the going gets tough? Does a winner allow fear and anger to take over? Does a winner need to know the how?
Winners jump into a game without knowing the “how”. They know that the “how” will become clear as a result of fighting for what they want.
Questions worth asking when struggling to make something happen: “Am I searching for all the ways that it might work? Am I adding up all the reasons it won’t?”
Losers are strongest on the reasons it won’t.
How many times did Thomas Edison fail while inventing the electric light bulb? It was over 10,000 times. What allowed Edison to become the creative genius that he was … it was his will, determination, and commitment. Giving up is easy.
That same level of will, determination, and commitment is required to master our emotions. Is it worth the time and effort?
People who refuse to put forth the effort remain victims of their circumstances, carrying needless worries to their grave. While people who master their emotions become masters of their fate … free from the needless worries.
The price of a worry free life is mastering our emotions.
Dick Warn is an author, professional speaker, and coach. He has been helping others achieve greater rewards since 1972.