The Acme of All Human Virtues: Rugged Self-Control

Yesterday's lesson through You Are The Project was the importance of self-control. I must admit that self-control is a continuous life long lesson that I continue to be smacked upside the head with over and over again. Of course, the ability to adapt to all kinds of situations warrants a major need for self-control. Therefore, it isn't just me who continues to get smacked by this lesson, everyone struggles with it I'm sure of it!

Regardless, I can say that I have learned a great deal of self-control through discipline by conditioning my mind to react differently to others. For example, you are having a fantastic day and something bad happens. A car cuts you off or someone spills coffee on your shirt right before a meeting; do you allow that one incident to control your day? Do you allow it to dictate the rest of your day by putting you in a negative mode? Even when the day was going exceptionally well! Why would anyone allow that to happen? Lack of self-control, completely. That being said, of course our world would look so different if everyone had the discipline of self-control the acme of all human virtues.

I will say that it is a lot easier said than done. Anger, sadness, disappointment, etc are such strong feelings and if a person has been conditioned to accept those feelings it will initially be hard to fight them off. With conscious effort towards changing negative feelings into positive ones, it is surely possible to gain that magnificent virtue. Here's a big tip: do thankful comparisons when in a negative feeling. A thankful comparison is when you think of someone less fortunate than you and feel empathy for them so much so that you change the negative feeling into complete gratitude for your situation. Once again it is easier said than done but with much practice it is very helpful in changing a negative emotion into a positive one. SELF-CONTROL IS THE KEY TO A HAPPY LIFE.