Taming Your Temper.- If you tend to be temperamental, perhaps until now you’ve blamed others for your outbursts. For example, have you ever said, “She provoked me” or “He made me lose my temper”? If so, your very words suggest that others are holding the remote control to your emotions. How can you regain command? Try the following. Assume responsibility. It all starts with acknowledging that you—and only you—can “make” yourself angry. So take finger-pointing accusations out of your vocabulary. Instead of saying, “She provoked me,” admit to yourself, ‘I allowed myself to be provoked.’ Instead of saying, “He made me lose my temper,” acknowledge to yourself, ‘I chose to overreact.’ Once you accept responsibility for your actions, you’ll be better able to change them.-Galaians 6:5. Anticipate the problem. The Bible says: “Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.” (Proverbs 22:3, Today’s English Version) The key, then, is to anticipate the problem. Ask yourself, ‘When is my temper most likely to flare?’ For example, a girl named Megan says: “I work nights, and when I finish my shift, I’m extremely tired. That’s when almost anything can send me over the edge.” Question: In what circumstances is your temper likely to flare? ․․․․․ Plan a better response. When provoked, take a deep breath, lower your voice, and speak slowly. Instead of making an accusation (“You thief! You took my sweater without asking!”) try expressing how the action affects you. (“I really get frustrated when I want to wear my sweater and I find out that you ‘borrowed’ it without asking me.”) Exercise: Think of a recent situation in which you lost your temper. 1. What provoked you? ․․․․․ 2. How did you react? (What did you say and/or do?) ․․․․․ 3. What might have been a better response? ․․․․․
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:32:32 +0000
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