Self-Control

We've all been reading about the aggressive, protesting, disaffected youth in Greece who are causing incredible unrest and damage through violence, rioting, bombing, and a lot of ugly behavior. It's bad. Now this mess is spreading across the rest of Europe - where most recently young adults in Italy, Spain, Denmark and France have also started to riot, burn cars, attack banks, and again, cause lots of expensive damage - physically and emotionally.

So what's the deal!?

Well, the thing is, they're really peeved about soaring unemployment, globalization, economic turmoil, and too much Abba on the radio. Indeed, times are tough all around, and it's making lots of folks angry, all around. And what's the potential of that type of violent behavior happening here in the U.S.? Given all the bad stuff taking place on our own island, all we need is our young adults rioting in the streets. NOT! (Insert personal opinion here: by electing Barack Obama, I think that's helped quell that potential, at least for now.)

Unfortunately, I personally don't have a quick or easy remedy for what ails us, as the problems are big, deep and wide. (But how do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite.) While we individually can't solve this situation, we can individually do a better job of taking care of what we can control: our own emotions, understanding, perspective, attitude, aptitude and mindfulness. Sure, those "intangibles" won't put a paycheck in the bank, gas in your tank, or food on the table per se. But it will help. If we can't control what we can't control, let's control what we can.

Ourselves.

Oh yea, and maybe, just maybe, every young adult - throughout the world for that matter - should read the super-cool, award-winning, hip-happenin, best-selling book Pocket PorchLights (excuse the absolutely shameless plug). After all, it was written to help young adults succeed at work and life, while at the same time, helping their friends, families, employers and communities enjoy more happiness, compassion, and success. That's its cause. But to achieve that success, on both an individual and collective basis, than each of us has to personally take action. As the saying goes: there may not be an "i" in team, but there's an "m" and an "e."

And you can't have self-control, without the self.

Self-Control is Good.