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If the horse is dead, dismount!

Picture the scene: You are driving to work or an appointment and some "jerk" swerves into your lane, cutting you off and causing you to slam on the brakes. You spill your coffee and you quickly become furious. You shout at the other driver through your windshield. You lay on the horn. You give him the finger. As you drive on, your anger grows. You fantasize about running right into the "jerk's" car. That would show him! By the time you get to work it is all you can talk about. Your morning calls to prospects and customers are put aside while you continue your rant. Meanwhile, the other driver has gone happily on with his day.

All of us experience real and perceived transgressions that cause us anger: Maybe, as in the example above, someone cut you off on the way to work. Maybe you work with someone who has done something to offend you. Perhaps your spouse or significant other did something to make you mad. Your boss didn't follow through on a promise. You didn't get the promotion you wanted. You lost a big deal. You were shorted on your commission check.

Regardless, the situation has gotten under your skin and is having an impact on your entire life. You talk about it to friends, colleagues, your boss, strangers and sometimes even customers. Anger invades your thoughts and keeps you up all night stewing. At times, you completely shut down your life as you dwell on your anger, angst and anxiety.

I meet Sales Professionals every day who are re-living these transgressions over and over again. They are wasting precious time and emotions sitting on a dead horse. They are living in the past and no matter how hard they beat and kick it, the horse will not move. Unable to focus on anything else, their sales activity and productivity falls, commission checks shrink and in time many are looking for new jobs.

Beating a dead horse is self-destructive. Dead horses don't trot they rot. If the horse is dead, dismount.

Of course, letting go is easier said than done. So is the secret learning to turn the other cheek? Well yes, but there is more. The real secret to moving on is understanding that anger is just energy and when you harness the energy generated by anger you hold a powerful force for positive change in your hand.

Two PowerPrinciples for Harnessing Anger

Don't Get Even - Get Better: When someone hurts you it is human nature to want to get even. Your body fills with energy and adrenalin for revenge. Take advantage of that gift of energy to invest in yourself to get better, stronger and become even more powerful in your skills. Remember, achievement is the ultimate revenge.

Look for Lessons: You are in complete and absolute control of your beliefs. When you choose to believe that everything happens for a reason, instead of wallowing in anger, you look instead for lessons and open doors, turning your adversity into achievement.

Jeb Blount is the CEO of SalesGravy.com, host of the highest ranked sales podcast in the world, is the author of PowerPrinciples: Do you have the winning edge?, and motivates audiences across America to take action to achieve their goals and live their dreams.

Learn more about this author, Jeb Blount.
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