It's Not What You Know

Have you ever wanted something to go your way, only to have it not go as planned?
The next time that happens, here's some advice that was given to me years ago, which has helped me have a lot more things go my way rather than overreacting to something that'd be better handled subtly. It is a gift to be able to practice this advice daily, because each time I do, it helps me be a better person. 

I hope it does the same for you: 
It's not what you know; instead, it's what you do with what you know that makes all the difference in the world. 

Let me break down the steps for practicing the advice above. 

1. Take a look at your reaction to the thing that didn't go your way. 

- How'd you react? Were you angry, passive-aggressive, taking it personally, or having an adult temper tantrum? 

- If you were, your reaction was actually the major contributor to the thing you wanted to go your way, not to go your way. 

2. To have the thing you want to go your way, your better reaction: 

 -Take ten slow, deep breaths; this usually takes approximately one minute. 

 - After that, refrain from reacting - challenging but doable.

 - Either return to the task you were doing before receiving the initial information, or engage in an activity that gets your body moving - this can be anything from vacuuming to walking the dog. 

 - Most importantly, while doing the task or activity, make a commitment to yourself to let go of the outcome you had initially planned in your mind. Completing this step is vital because it serves as the catalyst for achieving the result you want, and oftentimes, the outcome you get is better than the one you initially requested.