Emotions are a powerful force and regulating them is a lifelong journey.

Ensuring our emotions are kept under the control of reason, and resisting the urge to act inappropriately takes knowledge and practice.  Lots of practice.

It is fine if our emotions are socially acceptable, for example sobbing at a funeral, or screaming and going crazy when your team finally wins the cup. They are a problem however when they are not socially acceptable: refusing to participate in things you are not good at, hitting people who upset you, or making a nuisance of yourself because you’re stressed or anxious.

Our emotions can either work for us or against us. The skill is to channel them in a productive direction and prevent them from sabotaging us by appeasing them.

SELF-MASTERY CHECKLIST

• Am I doing the right thing or the wrong thing?

• Am I making a strong decision or a weak decision?

• Are my feelings in charge of my actions or is my thinking in charge?

• Am I running away from the problem or am I dealing with it?

Wilson McCaskill