Good morning, folks! I am Jin with Morning Mindfulness Podcast. I hope you are doing fabulous! Let’s start with a breath and a smile.

The Art of Stepping Back

We’ll talk about another martial art tactic move, which is stepping back. Unfortunately it is misunderstood quite often. In the western culture, running away is not a good thing. This is not what big boys do, is it?

What I am talking about today is not running away from the conflict. It is exercising your right to exit the battle.

I remember, I read the story about George Bernard Shaw. One day he met a man in a narrow doorway.
“I don’t step back before fools!” The man said.
“I do”, Mr. Show said and stepped back.

There are reasons you may want to withdraw.
For example, when the matter is not a questions of life and death, and the game isn’t worth the candles
When Time and place is not right.
You may have guests, customers, etc.
When fighting creates collateral damage. Maybe your kids are around.

One thing to remember, don’t just shy away from the conflict.
Make your move certain and clear, do not hesitate.
Simply tell the other person that you are not willing to talk about that, or you are not the right person to talk to.
Finally, withdrawal is not always physical. You don’t have to leave. You can still be in place. Remember, you are not scared, you just use your right to stop the conflict now. You are in control.

Does it make sense?

Thanks for tuning in! You can subscribe to my podcast on my site HPLN.org.
Now let’s breathe and smile. I will talk to you next time.

PEACE!
Jin

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