To be bigger than the moment is to rise to the occasion, especially in emotionally charged moments that can potentially sway us off true north. It is a reminder to stay cool, calm, collected, composed, centered and in control, to take a deep breath and stay (or return to) our core.
Compose is a learned skill set; in times of crisis, pressure and stress, we revert to our habits, our training, our reflexive self. If we have disciplined ourselves, schooled and drilled ourselves to stay calm, if we have learned to master our emotions instead of being held captive to their swirling grasp, then we can find the strength of will to be bigger than the moment, to rise to the occasion, to find that oh so precious space between stimulus and response.
When I lose it (and I do) I think back on it and relive it in my mind in vivid detail as I wished it had been, re-scripting a wiser me, making that the stronger memory to guide me in the future.
Closing Quotes:
“Adversity doesn’t test character, it reveals it.” – James Lane Allen, 1864-1912, As a Man Thinketh
“A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves a thousand moments of regret.” – Ali ibn Abi Talib, 600-661 AD
“You can tell the size of a man by the size of the thing that makes him mad.” – Adlai E. Stevenson, 1900-1965, UN Ambassador, Governor of Illinois, Presidential Candidate
“When you have self-knowledge, you’re naturally calm and poised. You overcome obstacles with ease.” – Maxime Lagacé, b. 1993, Canadian professional ice hockey goal tender
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier
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