“Few things are brought to a successful issue by impetuous desire, but most by calm and prudent forethought.”
– Thucydides, ancient Greek military leader and historian
Dictionary.com defines “impetuous” as:
| 1. | of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person. |
| 2. | having great impetus; moving with great force; violent: the impetuous winds. |
Sometimes, clients can take an impetuous turn. In times of great challenge, conversations with associates may have their “impetuous” moments. If we were honest with ourselves, we’ve all had our impetuous moments with our spouses, and they with us.
In a typical workday, parts of the definition will serve us and parts that won’t. How the line between those parts gets drawn is with calm and prudent forethought.
For instance:
Emotion = Good; Impulsive = Not so good.
Sudden Action = Pretty good, if channeled; Rash Action = Bad
Great impetus and force = powerful; violent = Yikes!
Calm and prudent forethought has its beginnings in oxygen. A quick pace can take away oxygen. Anxiety takes away oxygen. Uncertainty literally shallows our breathing…robbing us of oxygen.
Today, find a way to take a couple really deep, cleansing breaths every :15 or so. It focuses us. It channels the positive parts and crushes the negative parts. It’s healthy. It’s cleansing, and it will allow us to act calmly and prudently, without sacrificing action and force. It will make a difference.
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