Four or five people (Malita’s story)
“I was always too nervous to say anything in front of more than four or five people when I was young. And when I made my first speech in front of my school, I was terrified! I was scared I’d make a fool out of myself-that everyone would laugh at me-or talk about me behind my back. I couldn’t get to sleep the night before. My heart was thumping and my stomach was churning all night. Then, just when I was about to go up to make my speech, my mouth went completely dry and I lost control over my voice!
And then my mind went blank! I forgot everything I had planned to say. It was only after that, I heard a story about how Nelson Mandela used to get nervous when he was a boy. And how he learned to calm his nerves. So I tried some of the things I heard. They didn’t all work at first and I still get quite nervous sometimes. But some did work and now nobody can tell I’m nervous at all. I even won debating competition recently.”
Being in control of your emotions is a power that can be useful in many situations. To find It in yourself first think about what it is. You are being in control of your emotions when you are:
- Being conscious of how you are feeling –the first key to controlling your emotions is to pay attention to how you are feeling .
- to be aware of your emotional state.
- To accept your emotions into your consciousness.
- To be open to your feelings.
- To allow yourself to feel what is going on inside your body.