Though we are not always fully aware of it, we are all creatures of emotions and many times those emotions tend to override our more subdued rational self and that’s when we tend to do something that we may live to regret.

Emotions are the spice of life. They make us feel vibrant, they are our main source of energy and when well harnessed, they can propel us to magnificent height. On the other hand, when emotions are allowed to rule unchecked, wrong decisions are taken and trouble just may occur.

Doing the right thing for the right reason is not always the impulsive thing to do. Sometimes it does require quite a bit of self-control to overlook the emotional aspect of a situation in favor of the rational approach. However, understanding the mechanism that directs our behavior will facilitate opting for the right choice.

Everything that we do is done in an effort to have as much pleasure as possible and as little pain as possible. So if we can attach a tremendous amount of pleasure to doing the right thing and massive pain to doing the impulsive and emotional thing, chances are very high that our conduct will be exemplary.

Being rational is a function of maturity and a sign of inner strength. Strong and mature people have emotions like anyone else but they have learned to control the emotions rather than being the effect of these emotions.

Another technique that can be used to get into the habit of doing the right thing for the right reason is by emulating the people that we respect and admire. The Obama, Gandhi and Mandela of this world are perfect example of people who will place reason over passion and come up on the noble side of the equation.

We all have greatness within us; it is part of our birthright… however it is not a notion that most people are comfortable with. The reason for that is simple; greatness implies a sense of responsibility. It means that the person has to stand up and be counted. A scary thought for many.

At first sight, it seems to be so much more comfortable to remain in the shadow of anonymity. That’s a false sense of security. The only way that we can be truly alive is by being all that we can be and by taking our rightful place under the sun. And that starts by doing the right things for the right reasons.

We all have a set of personal values; a hierarchy of rules that we follow. They are our guidelines through life. Most of these rules and values were randomly added to the list. They just seemed to fit the person that we believe ourselves to be so they were unconsciously added.

It is however possible to live in a more conscious fashion. We can decide to place, doing the right thing for the right reason, at the top of our values and guidelines. That would be the first step to awaken the seed of greatness that lies deep within us.

Greatness is nothing but the results of habitually doing the right thing for the right reason. Sometimes it takes courage and integrity to do so but it’s a small price to pay for the ultimate feeling of self-esteem that it offers.

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