About this quote

We spend decades training our brains for careers, yet we let our feelings run wild like untrained toddlers. Smart people ruin their lives daily because they cannot manage a sudden spike of anger or fear. True maturity requires studying your own reactions with the same discipline you used to learn algebra. How often do you let a bad mood dictate a major life decision? You must train your heart to think, or your thoughts will always be hostage to how you feel in the moment.

When to use it

• When a colleague criticizes my project during a meeting, I want to snap back, but I remember that my feelings need training too.
• I almost yelled at my daughter for spilling her milk after my bad day at work, but I caught myself because taking my stress out on her is just poor emotional control.
• My investments dropped twenty percent today, and instead of panic-selling in a sweat, I decided to close the app and go for a walk.
• After missing the game-winning shot, I wanted to throw my racket, but I knew I had to master my frustration if I wanted to play better next week.