Get Mad, Not Even

Focus on the Future, Not Past Grievances

Jon M. Huntsman

Many of us are like that. We have been injured emotionally at one time or another, in one way or another—hurt by family, friends, business colleagues, news media, politicians, whatever—and the bitter urge to strike back becomes our first reaction.

We want to do what Ensign Pulver did in the movie Mister Roberts. He tossed a large, homemade firecracker into the ship’s laundry room as payback for the ship’s captain making Lt. Robert’s life miserable.

There is a better, more productive route, although it can be emotionally difficult. The instructions are simple: Move on. Figure that this, too, shall pass.

Put things behind you. Forget about replacing lost money, ignore a ...

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