Pause before you react


I’ve heard this advice many times from people close to me — “Pause before you react.”

But honestly, it’s always easier said than done.


In daily life — at work, at home, or even during a random conversation — something triggers us.

When I’m in a sane, calm state of mind, I can still take that pause.

But the mind is not sane all the time… and the funny part is, whenever my mind is stable, the people around me start behaving in the opposite way. And then maintaining that balance becomes even tougher.


After every such moment comes a long trail of thinking and overthinking —

“I should have said something else.”

“I should have stayed quiet.”

“Why did I react like that?”


Sometimes I feel I’m getting better at this.

Sometimes I feel stuck at the same place.

Maybe my mind tells me I’m improving just to encourage me… and maybe that’s not such a bad thing.


And yes — I also self-praise myself in those rare moments when I do manage to pause and not react.

That’s my little internal reward.


What do you feel about this?


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