The last couple of days have been pretty hectic. There have been a series of highs and lows, enough to play havoc with most people’s minds. I guess this is part of entrepreneurship that gets lost in translation when people romantically recount their entrepreneurial experiences. I wrote about emotional control a year or so ago,  as I was reading over the post, I realized anew how much it had to do with keeping one’s emotional stability while dealing with difficult individuals. This post takes up where I left off when I said ” The moment we let our emotions slip, we make decisions that could potentially be disastrous for future business.”

To be in control of our emotions when in danger of  slipping up, is easier said than done ! Many a time during this journey of mine, there have been things that just did not work out as planned.  Times when I realized half way through, that the path I was travelling upon was taking me in the wrong direction. I remember those times quite vividly! I remember experiencing periods of anger and frustration, periods that have the potential to either let you start afresh hoping for a better result, or, letting you just sit down with your head in your hands and throwing in the towel. I am sure most entrepreneurs reading this are able to relate to the emotions one experiences at such junctures.

The key to dealing effectively with such situations, is to be able to learn from your mistakes, and identify what you did right, and wrong. It is at times like these, that a lack of experience can lead to a black out. Stress and anxiety are powerful triggers, they have the ability to incapacitate us at such times. This is all part of the entrepreneurship learning curve! Over time, you develop the skills and emotional control to remain calm, and rationalize such events. If you are experiencing turbulent times in your business presently, I strongly advise you get yourself a mentor or a more experienced entrepreneur to guide you along the way. This will drastically reduce the number of mistakes you will make, and help you get back on your feet faster.

I will end this post with one of my favorite quotes from Oscar Wilde.

“A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”