One thing life has taught me is that not every battle is worth fighting. Sometimes, you need to calm down and think before you react because the way you handle a situation can either save you from trouble or put you in in a problem you never expected.
Imagine fighting someone who has more power than you in a particular situation. You may be right, and the person may be wrong, but if you don't handle things carefully, you might end up suffering more than the person who offended you.
Imagine you have been working for your boss for one whole month. You have been going to work every day, doing your job and waiting patiently for your salary. Payday is just two days away, and you already have plans for the money. Maybe you want to pay your house rent, settle some bills or send money to your family.
Then suddenly, an argument breaks out between you and your boss, instead of trying to settle the matter peacefully, you allow anger to take over. You start insulting him, threatening him and saying things you might not have said if you were calm.
Now, your boss gets angry too and tells you to follow him to the police station to write an undertaking, or you risk not getting your salary. At that moment, you begin to regret how everything happened, you have worked for a whole month, but now you are facing another problem because of an argument that might have been handled differently.
You now start saying that your boss has cheated you but let me ask you something did you really think about the possible outcome before allowing your anger to push you that far? I'm not saying the boss is always right. No! Some bosses are wicked, and some people in positions of authority take advantage of others because they believe nobody can challenge them. If you have worked for your money, you deserve to be paid. Nobody should use their position to intimidate you or deny you what you have rightfully earned.
However, there is a difference between standing up for yourself and acting out of anger without thinking about what might happen next. Sometimes, the problem is not that we don't know our rights. The problem is that we don't know how to handle situations when we are angry. We want to prove a point immediately, even when doing so might put us in a worse position.
The truth is that you cannot control how other people behave, but you can control how you respond to them. Your boss may insult you, your neighbour may provoke you, or someone may try to make you feel less important. You don't have to react to everything just to prove that you are not weak.
There are times when keeping quiet for a moment is better than saying something you will regret later. There are times when walking away is better than exchanging words with someone who is only waiting for you to make a mistake and sometimes, you need to be patient, gather your evidence and handle the matter through the right channel instead of allowing anger to make things worse.
This is something we should all learn. Before you enter into a fight with anyone, think about the situation very well. What are you trying to achieve? What could happen if things get out of hand? Is there another way to solve the problem? These questions can save you from unnecessary stress. Don't get me wrong, being calm does not mean you are a coward, and choosing your battles does not mean you are afraid of anybody, It simply means you understand that your peace of mind and your future are more important than proving a point to someone.
If you have already made a mistake out of anger, learn from it. Don't allow pride to push you into making another mistake. And if someone is withholding your salary or treating you unfairly, look for a safe and lawful way to address the issue. Don't allow a few minutes of anger to put you into a problem that could take months to solve.
Life is already difficult enough, we should learn to think before we act, especially when we are dealing with people who have some kind of power over our situation. Sometimes, the wisest thing you can do is not to fight back immediately, but to understand the situation and choose the right way to respond.
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