We come across people of various types reacting to the same situation differently. Some are anxious all the time in most situations while others are calm and cool like a cucumber even in a crisis situation.

If we need to understand how the same situation can trigger different behaviours in individuals, we need to put ourselves in their position. our behaviour ,is a response to our beliefs and values. It is based on how we perceive the situation ,around us.

I know a friend, who is a perfectionist and wants everything to be at its place, in the house or outside. He gets irritated ,if someone does not put things back in place ,after using it. On the other hand, another friend thrives in chaos. The more chaotic a situation is, the more effective she becomes.

We may have seen people reacting differently, to the same situation. Let me illustrate this ,with a few examples. I recall ,we had a union leader in one of the organisations I worked in, who always came to meet me with a bunch of his supporters and behaved in a rude manner.

I was young and used to get irritated, till the day I met the same union leader, in the presence of one his seniors. The senior admonished this leader and told him that, if he comes with a few of his supporters, the management will think that ,only that many are his followers. Further, rude behaviour will invite rebuke and hence calmness may be more effective and yield better results.

Although, I should confess that this union leader did not change much in his behaviour, it was a great life lesson for me from. Calmness is more effective than getting anxious ,in any situation. Calmness is to be nurtured and developed, while anxiousness may be a normal human reaction.

We need to believe that the environment is the same ,for all of us. The way we react to a situation ,is in our hands as we need to realise that we cannot change the circumstances we live in ,but definitely can mould the way we react to the same.

Sports and games provide great life lessons. We experience that teams which end up in the same situation ,win or lose based on the calmness of their leaders. When we get anxious, we lose control of ourselves and are swayed by the circumstances. This way we may end up in making silly mistakes and thereby lose control of our action.

On the other hand, successful leaders in life and work, are always calm and collected. They listen ,more than they speak. They are not adversely impacted by the environment. They thrive in any situation since they are cool and listen to everyone ,before they take any action.

Let us learn to be calm and get over all our anxieties in life.

S Ramesh Shankar

9th Feb 2024