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If you’re easily offended, you’re easily manipulated
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Hi friend, You are in control. The moment you let something control your emotions, you give up your power. I was recently reminded of this: "If you’re easily offended, you’re easily manipulated." Sit with that for a second. If you’re constantly reacting—if every comment, every situation, every shift in energy pulls you into an emotional tailspin—you’re not in control. You’re being controlled. By others. By your own emotions. By fleeting, impulsive reactions. This isn’t about suppressing your feelings. You’re going to feel things. Some emotions will be familiar, some foreign, some overwhelming. But if you don’t take a breath—if you don’t pause, examine, and reframe—you’re just a puppet. You’re reacting, not choosing. When emotions take over, it feels like you’re drowning—frantically treading water, trying to stay afloat. But what if the water isn’t as deep as you think? What if all you had to do was stand? The things that seem like sharks circling you? Maybe they’re just floaties. Maybe they only have power because you gave it to them. And yeah—sometimes, bad things happen. Sometimes, it is deep water. You can’t always control that. But you can control how you choose to respond. You don’t have to pretend everything is fine when it’s not. Acknowledging what you feel is essential. But if you let those feelings dictate your actions before taking a moment to think, you’re handing over your power. So, before you react, zoom out. Ask yourself: "If you were watching this as a movie—if you had all the context and could see everything clearly—what would you be yelling at the main character to do? Because this is the truth: No one can take away your perspective or your ability to choose how you respond. That’s your superpower. The next time something stirs you up, remember—you don’t have to react. Take a moment. Pause. Then respond with intention, not impulse. Until next time, Much love, Calvin Share this article with your friends here. P.S. - I've been receiving many positive responses from you guys. So glad these letters are helping. Thank you. What else am I working on? Follow me on social: |
Letters
I write about stuff I find interesting—fitness, nutrition, mindset, and lessons from smart people. It's free, so subscribe if you're into that.
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