I never thought that waiting in a security check queue could be so much fun and full of learning. It was a Monday morning rush at the Delhi airport. You would have to pay extra attention to even see the floor through thousands of travelers on a busy day like this.
It is quite possible that a similar situation could lead one person into a negative spiral and another person into a positive one. Both of these spirals will be shaped by our first response. The initial response will be entirely based on one single question – are we able to look beyond our temporary emotions? Studies support the fact that a happy and calm mind makes better decisions. On the other hand a disturbed mind downsizes our power to make winning decisions.
This is an issue that not only shapes leaders but also shapes all of us. Almost all successful people have 100% clarity on one point: “you must not worry about something that is outside your control.” Well-known motivational speaker T. Harv Eker describes this issue quite nicely when he talks about “you versus the size of your problems.” He says on a scale of 1-10, if you have a size 5 problem and you are a size 2 person in terms of the mental peace and ability to handle it, you are going to have a miserable time with that problem. For instance, someone cutting in front of you in line is a size 2 problem, and if it is making you mad, there are high chances that you are reacting like a size 1 person. In this case that problem would definitely make you feel angry and helpless. On the other hand when you become a size 10 person, you will see that no problem looks too tough to you.
Fortunately there are many ways to become a bigger person than your problem. This can be achieved by training your brain to stop reacting to certain situations that aren’t important. Following your passion, meditating, deep breathing, exercising, and yoga are a few methods to regaining this control. When the size of our problem is smaller than us, we feel centered, controlled, lighter, and happier.