When you assume negative intent, you’re angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response.
Indra Nooyi
Dear one,
This quote came up for me today while doing some research for the crisis intervention certification class I’m teaching later this week. Anger is a tool of the survival brain that protects us in times of severe anxiety and stress (real or perceived). As I have said before, your anger is hiding a secret. It is never really what’s going on, so the key to moving past anger is to understand what the real core emotion is.
Anger cloaks fear in all its forms, even when we don’t realize it. By consciously choosing to assume positive intent in others, we give our brains an opportunity to break out of the confines of the anger role.
Never forget that I love you, and that excludes no one.
Love,
