When you find yourself losing your composure or ability to productively communicate your viewpoints, you have become too emotional. Take a step back. On the other hand, when you are aware of your mental state and have decided to stand up for something, you are passionate. Lean forward.

Be ever aware of your reactions and positively respond to your emotions, this is the key to being in control in any environment. The easy route is to go on and on about some idea or topic, based on your own personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. That’s the subjective route and it is much too easy. We’re Marines. Turn your strong desires into objective discussions instead, and you will be able to sell your audience on your idea and the value it is sure to provide.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.” ~ Simon Sinek

Leave emotion out of it and your passion will shine through. When communicating an idea, it is also important that you do not aim your thoughts towards a person, but instead keep it objective focusing on the “Why”. It always begins and ends with why…so there is no need to harp on the what, when, where, who, etc. For the enlightened, EVERYTHING begins and ends with “Why?” KNOW YOUR WHY.

In the event you do become emotional – never beat yourself up about it. We’re humans, it happens – and there is a very specific reason emotions exist (more on that in the chapter entitled “Your identity”). If you didn’t truly care about your strong opinions, you would be nor put yourself into situations where they surface. Acknowledgement that you may have crossed the line is crucial. See it as an opportunity to take a step back, and realize that there are better ways to communicate and to deliver your message. The take away here, is to always remain positive and to use your personal bond on topics towards improvement. You should always be improving – NEVER worsening.

To close, if there is one thing I have learned during my existence on this planet, it is that there are no opposites; no division. Hate (or absolute fear) is not the opposite of love (total absence of fear), it is merely love to the lowest degree. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN TO LOVE MORE. ~ Excerpt From “Cast Your Light”