I Make Myself Angry

I used to think that other people made me angry. Now I know that I make myself angry because I hear their words or see their actions, interpret them as hostile to me, and leap to my own defense, usually with an attack of my own. I used to say, “I couldn’t help it, she pissed me off!” Now I know that I have a choice. I really haven’t changed, I am still who I was, and I still have the same internal reaction to the same stimulus, but now I know I can chose what I say and what I do in response to it. Now I know that no good will come of it if I speak while I am still angry. Now I know that I have to take the time, maybe just a moment, to figure out where I want this to go and how to get it there.

Doing the Right Thing
and Achieving All Your Goals at the Same Time
www.mariannepowers.com