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Every day has the potential to be a good and, in some cases, a great day for you. Few of us get up in the morning thinking that we want this to be a bad day. Yet in many cases the day turns that way because of a person, an event or because we worry about something in the future.

This Teaching Moment is about those small events that can throw you off balance and negatively impact your day.

Who stole your day? Was it a boss, an unruly child, the erratic driver on the way to work, not getting the "B" you expected on the history paper, a discourteous server at lunch?

Every day there are numerous people or events that can prevent us from having a good day -- if we let them. The key is not letting them "steal your day."

In many cases we cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to these events. Lao-Tzu, a Chinese philosopher said:
"He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty."

1. Do your family members have suggestions on how to handle a particular situation? Keep it positive. This is a learning experience for everyone in the family. The idea is to share positive ways to keep you focused on what is really important.

2. Make this a fun discussion and a stimulating experience for everyone.

3. Learn to accept others. They may be having a bad day for any number of reasons. Take a couple of deep breaths and say to yourself: "I'm not going to let this steal my day."

1. Discuss with your family something that almost "stole your day." Describe the event and how you handled it.

2. Do you notice a pattern? Are there particular people or events that seem to always steal your day -- say, the drive to work, the bus ride to school, or the neighbor's barking dog? Discuss with your family members.

Please visit www.TeachingMoments.com for more character development ideas to help children succeed.

E-Mail John Bishop!