“The tides advance; the tides recede…The sun rises; the sun sets…Flowers bloom; flowers fade. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall. Today I will be master of my emotions.” So said Og Mandino in his small book, The Greatest Salesman in the World.
How often do you feel as if there is no chance to master your emotions? How often do they sweep over you, creating an environment where you say or do things that are not reflective of what you truly desire in your life, your business, or your relationships?
So much in business and sales depends on how we present ourselves to the world, and like it or not, our inner state shines through regardless of how we wish others to see us.
I have come to understand that my emotions will rise and fall without my bidding. I have also realized that I can make the decision to master those same emotions through the inner work of growth and increasing awareness. Mastering my moods is more a matter of surrender than control. This takes patience, decision, and persistence.
I have also learned what this can mean in my interaction with others. I can extend grace. I can reach out again tomorrow to someone who greeted me unfavourably today, because I know that their moods too will rise and fall. “No longer will I judge a man on one meeting…This day he will not buy gold chariots for a penny, yet tomorrow he would exchange his home for a tree. My knowledge of this secret will be my key to great wealth.”