12.18 How to express emotion effectively

When we process an emotion,

we may discover it has a genuine cause.

If we felt enraged by someone’s behavior,

perhaps they were actually disrespectful—

and their behavior stirred memories of someone from our past

who humiliated or hurt us deeply.

In such cases, don’t curb the emotion—

channel it for clear communication.

One practical way to do this is to give the person A.I.R.—

Action, Impact, Recommendation.

Describe the action they took.

Explain the impact it had on you—and why.

Offer a recommendation of how you’d like them to act next time.

When we express ourselves this way,

we give both them and ourselves space to breathe and grow.

We understand ourselves better,

and we give them a chance to change for the better.

If they do, we come closer;

if they don’t, we move on—gently, firmly, unapologetically.

The Bhagavad Gita (12.18) recommends such balanced maturity—

where our actions emerge from our principles,

not as reactions to others’ actions.