Don't cry to quit, cry to keep GOING


Eric Thomas a.k.a. ‘the Hip Hop Preacher’ says it best:  Don't cry to quit, cry to keep going. Use your emotions as fuel to complete the task at hand. Some people hit a bump in the road and pull over to stay stuck. The successful hit a bump and keep riding on ‘run flats.’ I know this belief or mantra is repetitive for my successful people out there. However, we need to hear some words of encouragement from time to time.

Being successful does not mean you do not have emotions. Being successful means knowing how to control them. Every great leader has been known for their ability to control emotions whether it is the past Presidents of the United States, CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, or Pastoral leaders. All of them have one trait in common:  The ability to control emotions.

I have found that controlling emotions is easier said than done. I remember receiving my first failing grade in undergrad. I was more than livid because I studied way harder than I had ever done in high school. I just knew that it was just something wrong with the professor. I talked to other students, the dean, and career advisor. Students were on my side (of course they were). The dean laughed at me and my career advisor laughed even harder than the dean. Long story short, I blamed everyone else except me and let my emotions get the best of me. I was so quick to point at someone else rather than I just studying harder and smarter. Studying smarter for me is the ability know the information so thoroughly that no matter how anxious I got during test day, I knew enough to get a passing grade.

So, enough talk about needing to control emotions, how I do it? I meditate (this includes praying) daily, drink my body weight water (ounces), take deep breathe when faced with an emotional situation, and truly look at every situation objectively.  I know I just wrote a mouth full. However, the it is quite simple to do. However, it is the staying consistent that is the issue.

Meditating allows you to focus on any pressing issues you may have in life and solutions to them. I specifically do TM (Transcendental Meditation). Some of the greats practice TM such as Jerry Seinfield, Ray Dalio, etc. But there are different forms of meditation. I also include prayer, 10 things I’m grateful for, and 10 things I vision for my future.

Drinking water is about keeping yourself hydrated. A lot of times I’ve noticed when I get emotional, it is because I am dehydrated and my body just feels so exhausted. When you get dehydrated, your body starts to slow different bodily functions down for you to be able to make it through the day.

Also, when I am faced with an emotional situation, I take deep breathes. This goes in line with drinking water. When I ran track and cross country in high school, I was taught to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. I have applied this during my life now. I figured if it worked in high school while running miles, it must be worth it. I did some research on it and it helps you control your heart rate, gets more oxygen to the brain, and helps exercise your lungs. What does all of this have to do with controlling your emotion? Simple, if you can control your mind, life, and body; the emotions have no choice but to follow.

Finally, I try to look at every situation objective. Obviously, this is going to be harder for some people to do. However, when you hit with a death of a family member, it is important to grieve and more importantly reflect on the great times you had with the person. An emotional person might sit in the house for months and do nothing else. You can be while missing out on tremendous opportunities to propel that love one’s memory.

To not make this post too long, I have just provided snippets of the benefits of controlling emotions and how to control them. When posting, I look to keep it short and simple for the busy person. When ever you want more information or want to discuss, please feel free to message me via social media, phone, email, etc.

Take Away

Controlling your emotions offers plenty benefits. So, it is important to do so. There are many ways to do so, but these are some of the ways I do:  (1) meditating, (2) drinking water, (3) controlling breathing, and  (3) approaching many emotional situations objectively.

~  Attorney Ronnie O’Brien Rice, Ph.D.

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