Pausing helps

When passions and voices rise in dissent, it’s usually because we care. We rarely get worked up over something unless some part of us feels it’s worth getting worked up over because it’s touching on something that matters to us.

What can get lost in the emotions, though, is why we care.

So when we notice ourselves getting worked up over something, there’s an opportunity to pause and ask ourselves what’s at the root of all the emotion. What is it that we care about enough to get so worked up about?

The challenge is that what we say in the heat of the moment, isn’t necessarily at the root of what we feel. So the question is whether we can be honest with ourselves about what we are feeling, regardless of what we may be saying.

It’s also an opportunity to ask ourselves whether there is something (or someone) else we also care about that we might be unintentionally hurting through what we’re doing and saying in that moment of heightened emotions?

And can we stand up for what matters without harming other people or the planet in the process?

It’s a lot to ask in the heat of the moment. Which is why pausing helps.