Each individual is a sentient being. Sentient is Latin for “feeling”. All humans have wavelike feeling experiences. It is powerful to be conscious of our passionate, intense, negative emotions; because when we navigate correctly through these stormy, rough waters, we have the power to be agents of positive change and growth. If we don’t seize the upset as an opportunity for positive growth, then our judgement becomes clouded because of our emotional storm. With clouded judgement, we are at risk to say and/or do stupid things. These stupid things make for the worse, not the better. The worse for ourselves and for the other. Mental fitness includes building our inner strength to recognize and regulate our intense negative feelings in the face of conflict. But you can’t build something that you can’t envision. Develop that vision.

The key is to back up behind your passionate feeling of anger and dare to look at the fear, sadness, and/or embarrassment that the feeling of anger serves to cover. When you identify that, you will have embraced the power to grow strong and approach the problem from clearer thinking and your better judgement. We feel really good when we look back at how we led ourselves during a difficult time.

This takes practice and repetition to become skilled at. Why wouldn’t we want that? We deserve to be both physically and mentally fit.