A calm mind = a strong mind

The nearer a man ​comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.
The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.” – Marcus Aurelius

If someone knows how to push your buttons, to get you worked up and out of sorts just by something little that they say or do, they can easily manipulate you. The less reactive you can be, the more power you can have. If you take a moment to pause, you can choose your response – to let things go, to address them calmly and respectfully, or to be stern and forceful. But the key here is you are making the decision on how to respond. That is strength. Reaction to an event is not.

Teach yourself to control your emotions

Teach yourself to control your emotions
Teach yourself to control your emotions.

If you let the words or actions of somebody else get a rise out of you, if you let a situation get the best of you, if you can’t control your emotions, you open up the door to be manipulated by others. Whether that’s allowing outside influences to “make” you angry, sad, or even happy, that’s giving away your power.

If someone knows how to push your buttons, they can control you to a certain degree. But if you are able to master your emotions, and to remain calm in the heat of battle, you can control your destiny.

Facing fear

Everyone is wired to be fearful. It is how you respond to that fear that determines your likelihood of success. Sometimes it’s best to act/be the aggressor, while other times it’s best to sit back and let the storm pass. But regardless of what is the best course of action, the number one thing to remember is to not panic. Control your emotions, logically decide what should be done, then go do it.