Second Thought, First Action

Today, I led another table topic at the Toastmasters Club. One of a participant made a statement that stuck in my head. I'm pretty sure you already got the idea. But putting it into a catchy statement might help keeping this idea in your head at the time you need it.

He said we are not responsible for our feelings because we cannot control them. However, we are responsible for how we react to our feelings. When people are in tough situations, it is okay to feel upset. It is okay to feel angry and disappointed. It is okay that we have a bad feelings or first thoughts toward someone. But don't act upon it, as acting upon the first thought can be messy. You need to calm down before you can have a second thought. Maybe you can temporarily direct your attention to other things or other people. Maybe you want to talk to your friends. Once you are calm down, you can have a second thought that is more reasonable. Then your first action should come after the second thought. When in tough situation, keep in mind- second thought, first action. And you'll be able to go through it just fine.

- J