Pause. Reflect. Choose with Awareness.

Mar 19

When Emotions Take Over

When was the last time you were overwhelmed with emotion—so much so that it sent a surge of energy through your body, targeting every insecurity you could think of?

Moments of uncertainty in relationships, business deals falling through, or fear of the unknown—we all experience these things. No man or woman is immune. These feelings of inadequacy creep in, catching us off guard. They make it hard to move on, make us feel like we’re not enough, or remind us of every failure after we’ve worked so hard for a win.

And yet, we often don’t know how to manage these emotions when they hit.

The Old Me vs. The 2.0 Me

I am not immune to this. I’ve faced these feelings time and time again, and now, I accept them as part of the beautiful experience of being human.

But it wasn’t always this way.

As emotions rose, so did the messages in my brain, whispering, “Remember the vices? They’re there to help you.” I could see them pop up one by one as I sat on my bed, contemplating my next move.

The old me would’ve given in. “It’s too much. I’ll run to the vice. There’s always tomorrow.”

The problem? What if tomorrow never comes?

I was seconds away from making the same mistake—until I remembered something I had written in my journal earlier in the year:

💭 Pause. Reflect. Choose with Awareness.

Sitting in Discomfort

I paused. I listened to all the thoughts racing through my head. I sat with the feelings, no matter how uncomfortable, no matter how painful.

How long will this last?
Will these feelings ever subside?

Who am I kidding? The feelings always subside—right after I run to my vice. We can worry about being better tomorrow, I thought.

But then, another thought hit me.

It doesn’t matter how many self-help books I’ve read, how many personal development podcasts I’ve listened to, or how many conferences I’ve attended—none of it means a thing when I’m in the trenches, staring my demons in the face.

This is you vs. you. A battle for your life.

And in that moment, I had a choice.

Choosing Peace Over Vice

Bro, you said you were a loving, faithful husband and father.
You said you were a leader.
You said…

The angel and devil played tug-of-war in my head.

Then, I made a decision.

Today, I choose peace.
I will not run to my vice today.

Like Ed Mylett says: One more.

This was my one more moment.

It’s easy to talk about one more rep in the gym. It’s easy to celebrate business wins. What’s difficult is holding yourself accountable when no one is watching.

No one told me to do this. I chose this.

I chose to be an example.

Upgrading to 2.0 isn’t a single achievement. It’s a daily choice.