Would it help?

“Would it help?” – 3 powerful words that cut through the noise.

The next time you find yourself:

• feeling a surge of anger
• getting irritated
• reacting to something that isn’t going as per plan
• thinking up a sarcastic response to get back at someone
• harboring envy or jealousy
• feeling worried

Ask yourself – would it help?

A calm and measured response aside, nothing really does help. Any other reaction is a waste of time, energy and emotion.

You know this. I know this. We also know it is hard to remember this in the heat of the moment.

So, instead of expecting us to respond better, let’s just make it a point to ask – “Would it help?”

Over time, we will respond better.

(I thought of this wonderful line recently as I thought of a post from December 2015 after watching “The Bridge of Spies.” If you’ve seen the movie, you’ve likely seen these words in action. And, if you haven’t, maybe it’s time to see the movie. :))