T ake a Beat

The real secret to life, happiness, and good relationships? Just pause before you react.

The Stoics had it right: we can’t control what happens, but we can control how we respond.

There’s always a tiny space between what happens and how we react. And in that space, we get to decide who we are and what we stand for.

You don’t need to fire back right away. Take a breath. Wait a second. Let it sit.

You can feel angry, annoyed, scared — and that’s fine. But you don’t have to act on those feelings. You’ve got a choice.

Give yourself a beat. You’ll probably handle it way better.

This article is part of the 30 Day Writing Challenge — just writing whatever pops into my head each day.