There are lots of things that get us into trouble, some of which are from outside circumstances, that are frequently out of our control, and then there are our self-control problems, which often create havoc and trouble for us. Whether or not we develop the self-control to be a better and a more caring person is of our volition, of which, some people work hard at this to thereby improve their character; whereas, many a person tends to just go with the flow, indicating that the effort or lack thereof that we put into controlling our behavior, is at our discretion.
While it has to be said that some people naturally seem to have good self-control, that isn’t as important as acknowledging that we are ultimately responsible for the control, or the lack, thereof, that we display in this life, and if we are not satisfied with what subsequently occurred because we lost control, then we need to do a better job in improving our behavior, which typically takes time, concentration, and concerted effort. The reason that self-control is so important to each and every one of us, is because a lot of trouble that we need not get into, results from the lack of self-control, of which, on a better day, we would not have said what we said, or done what we have done, for we recognize that this trouble came from our inability to maintain our balance and to thereby do the right thing, or just to remain still.
Indeed, just because someone provokes us, does not necessitate a kneejerk response which often just ends up aggravating the situation. So too, when we hear something that we don’t like, or someone does something that annoys us, we don’t have to respond immediately, for we have the option to try to take into account, the perspective of what is occurring, and the importance that our response will typically be more appropriate with thoughtfulness. After all, there are plenty of things that may initially irritate us, but given enough contemplation, aren’t really a big deal and probably never were a big deal, to begin with.
In life, we frequently have the option, to be the bigger person, to take our time, and to think about our possible reactions, before we react, as well as the fact that oftentimes our initial thought of an appropriate response isn’t necessarily the best one or the only one at our disposal. The choices that we make are ours to own, and before we react with words or actions, we need to consider whether our response is going to be helpful, or whether it will instead be something that will exacerbate the situation.
So too, most of us hate it when we say or do something that annoys the other person but have done so without the intent for that to happen, signifying that we appreciate it when the other, has the strength of character, to basically just let it go, thereby controlling the situation well so that it doesn’t become a tempest, after all. We all have the choice of how we will or will not react to others, of which, those that have masterful self-control are going to far more often than not, make good decisions, which is, if we are smart, where we should and ought to aspire to be, as well.