I gave myself a self-imposed “Time-Out” today.
I held sharp edged words in my mouth and took a step out of a conversation because I knew that when “Emotions are high, Intellect is low.” It is a hard to step away from a topic and try to return to it later, calmer, and from a more objective perspective. There is this duality that vies for control of your inner dialogue: part of you just wants to unleash and part knows that there is no going back once words tumble out.
Putting away the phone, refraining…from..one…last (just one!)…text… is hard. Where is the need to have the last word come from? The Ego? The need to be right? How does that serve us in the end?
I had to take a moment to reflect: I was frustrated that the needs of One person seemed to supersede the needs of the Many. How was sending that zinger of a text any different? I had now flipped the table and was the One who thought her needs were more important than the Many.
I think that the need to dig in and lay it all out stems from the fear that the conversation will just whither and, realistically, no resolution will come. Our views and opinions discarded and abandoned.
There is strength to withdraw and strength to revisit. If you have the strength enough to remove yourself, know that you have the strength to step into the conversation from a stronger stance, with perspective, and the ability to reason. That is called growth.