An Undisputed Advantage

by Ron White

Sometimes success in life is a result of setting yourself apart from your competition or simply everyone else. There is one behavior that, without a doubt, will give you an advantage over those around you. I will allow Thomas Jefferson to share what that is. He once said, "Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."

Have you ever been in a stressful situation or in a storm of life in which you were not able to maintain your cool? It happens to all of us. Billy Joel puts it this way in his hit song "Pressure":

But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure

Jefferson and Joel are in agreement that you will have to handle pressure. Jefferson suggests that how you respond to that pressure can give you a distinct advantage over those around you. Accepting the fact that you will encounter adverse situations, how do you prepare yourself to always remain cool?

You must run through this checklist before the moment of truth arrives, because under pressure this list is clouded and feels miles away.

Remind yourself that your life has seen many challenges and you worked through each one and are still standing today.

Remind yourself that you are not the first to encounter obstacles and others have made it—so can you.

Unless you are being attacked in a physical manner, never allow yourself to respond without knowing all the facts.

Again, unless being attacked in a physical manner, practice the rule of five, and that is slowly counting to yourself to five before you respond.

Do not fear walking away from the table as you allow the issue to cool. Do not shirk from asking for help. A team is always stronger than an individual. The question is not, will you encounter struggles in life. The question is how will you respond? For a distinct advantage over others, remember the words of our third president and keep your head.