There is a great quote from the movie Act of Valor, that my friend George shared with me today. I’ll paraphrase it a little, No one is stronger or more dangerous than one who can harness his emotions. This spoke volumes to me especially after witnessing someone being pushed to the edge and then still being able to harness his emotions yesterday.
I’m going to repeat the quote, No one is stronger or more dangerous than one who can harness his emotions. Many would argue the opposite of this and I’ll touch on that in a moment. Watching someone get pushed to the edge and on the verge of things escalating to a point of no return and not being able to do anything is an deflating moment. However, watching that someone regain their composure, stay within themselves and continue to control their emotions was an empowering moment. To know that person could have erupted and then been witness to the carnage that would have been on display is a thought that has sit with me all day. When you poke the bear you may not get an immediate response but when the bear decides to respond its with calculated and precise damage. Everyone wants to talk about how bad the bear was for attacking, but fail to mention what caused the bear to attack. Those similarities fit into the quote above. When a person who is in full control of their emotions responds its done with a purpose. Watching professional athletes get heckled and then hitting the game winning shot, hitting a game winning homer or just making a play to help their team is crucial to their mindset. They are in complete control of their emotions and are able to harness the things around them into something positive.
The person who can’t control their emotions acts on impulse. They are often are the ones who get caught, get penalized and are reprimanded. They let their emotions take over and ultimately take themselves out of the game or situation. These actions are not calculated and often lead to more damage. I often think of a deer in this regards. Their first instinct is to run, often times when they run its directly into traffic. They are a smart animal and survive and adjust to their surrounds when they stop and check things out. If you’ve hunted you know first hand what I’m talking about. Having a deer sense and smell you is helpless situation to a hunter. They stop, they put their head up and scan the area, you know they are going to run but don’t know when. They know something is not right and want to make sure to not run into more danger. Other times when you see a deer they just take off running with no direction. This is what a person who can’t control their emotions does, they just react. They don’t scan or check to see what the consequences will be. What do we often hear when this happens, I let my emotions get the best of me? The person who can’t control their emotions will be passed up by the one who can.
We all have had a time when we’ve been pushed, we’ve been told we’re no good and laughed at. Some instantly go to the point of defense or an action. Others can keep their emotions under wrap and move forward. One of the things that will destroy another is to smile at their action towards you. To let them know they can’t cause you to do something you don’t want to. There are times that yes an action is needed. Stand your ground but be careful to keep your footing. Know that when the quiet man responds you better listen because his words are going to be meaningful. Another piece of advice I saw today was “Always remember tough times don’t last, but tough people do. When you keep your head up and never stop working things will payoff.
Enjoy your day!
TCB