Never forget the pause.
A lot of times, we read/learn/hear something, and our first instinct is to react immediately.
But — and this surprises me every time I remember it, which I try to make daily — the stronger the impulse is to do something right now, the more I need to examine that.
Why does this has to happen right now? Why must I say this thing to that person in the next five minutes? Why must I take this action at this moment? What underlies the urgency I believe to be real?
So — pause. That pause may be 10 minutes; that pause may be 10 years. But trust me: unless someone is actively bleeding out in front of you, give it at least a tiny pause.
