He never again lost his temper in public

A young and able businessman was hampered in his career by sudden outbursts of fury when he was contradicted in front of others – at a board meeting, for instance.

He was making some attempts at spiritual training, and he consulted one of the senior members of the group.

‘I know you’re going to tell me to count backwards from twenty- nine or something like that, but the fact is that it’s so strong that all that just gets blown away.

I see a sort of red mist coming in front of my eyes. Isn’t there something a bit more positive for people like me ?’

The senior looked at him, smartly dressed and clearly very careful about his appearance.

‘There might be, for someone like you as you say,’ he replied, ‘but you have to be willing to get a bit of a shock.

Keep a little mirror in your pocket, and when you see that red mist coming up, just go out of the room for a moment and look in the mirror.’

The business man did this next time he was contradicted.

When he saw in the glass his face contorted with rage, lips swollen and eyes injected with blood, the ugliness of it was like a shower of icy water.

He never again lost his temper in public.

© Trevor Leggett – Mirrors 1