For me, going high usually involves taking a pause before I react. It is a form of self-control, a line laid between our best and worst impulses. Going high is about resisting the temptation to participate in shallow fury and corrosive contempt and instead figuring out how to respond with a clear voice to whatever is shallow and corrosive around you. Its what happens when you take a reaction and mature it into a response.Because heres the thing: Emotions are not plans. They dont solve problems or right any wrongs. You can feel themyou will feel them, inevitablybut be careful about letting them guide you. Rage can be a dirty windshield. Hurt is like a broken steering wheel. Disappointment will only ride, sulking and unhelpful, in the back seat. If you dont do something constructive with them, theyll take you straight into a ditch.

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama