A lot of people mistake power to be the ability to control others, influence others, or even be physically strong. However, they tend to forget that the true superpower starts from controlling oneself. The ability to control yourself; that is your thoughts, emotions, actions, habits, etc, is among the greatest strengths that anyone can have. If you cannot control your own self, you may struggle to control a lot of things in life. The real test of your strength does not lie in just what you can do, it also lies in what you have disciplined yourself not to do. Here, we shall be taking a quick look at the areas of yourself that you need to control.
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The first one on the list is the ability to control your emotions. As natural as emotions can be, you will be surprised how a lot of people are controlled by them. This can include anger, jealousy, fear, etc. These things, if not checked, can make someone to take some very drastic and regrettable decisions. But someone who can control their emotions will learn how to be calm even in the face of emotional heightening, and even learn how to respond calmly instead of reacting vigorously. It does not mean that they are Ignoring their emotions, rather it means that they have learnt how to manage them wisely. It is your ability to control emotions that leads to peace of mind, making better decisions, and even avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
The second aspect of your life that you need to control is your word. Words carry enormous power even beyond what you may imagine. Once words are spoken, they may be almost impossible to take them back. You will be surprised how lots of relationships have been damaged, and lots of opportunities lost, simply because of uncontrolled speech. By controlling your speech means the ability to know what to speak, but much more than that, you should also know how to say it, and then at the right time to say. This also means avoiding things that, when said, would break someone or lead to negative consequences; things like gossip, unnecessary arguments, insult, careless talks, etc. When you control your words, you will build trust, interpersonal relationships, and respect.
A friend of mine once told me about what led to the breakup in her former relationship with her boyfriend. The man did something, or what she assumed, but the way she talked to her out of anger, sent the wrong signals to him. She even told him "wait until we are married, then you will see my true colour." She might not have meant it that way, but the guy got scared. He thought to himself about what he would see after marriage. Well, that was what led to a couple of other things that finally led to their separation. So we should be mindful of the words we speak.
The third thing about yourself that you should control is your time. Time is among the very valuable things you possess as an individual. People who cannot control how they use time often see themselves procrastinating, struggling with distractions, and may lack progress. Controlling your time will make you to prioritise the things that matter instead of wasting your whole time on some unproductive habits and tasks. Managing your time will help you to grow, learn new things, become better, and even move you closer to the achieving of your goals.
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The fourth aspect that you need to control is your thought. A lot of what happen to you are directly linked to your most dominant thoughts. Your thoughts have direct influence on your actions, which determine the outlook and outcome of your life. This is why you have to guard your thoughts from destructive and unproductive thoughts. Then focus on positive, productive, and growth-oriented thoughts. Controlling your thoughts makes you to live a stronger and more disciplined life.
The final aspect of your life that you need to control is your desire and your habit. It is not every desire that should be followed. Some habits, desires, and cravings have temporary satisfaction, but they may cause long-term damage. By controlling your desires, you will resist unhealthy, unnecessary, and unproductive habits. This is what will allow you to choose discipline over temporary satisfaction, and will also make you a better person.
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