Vulcan Success Principles: Victory through Emotional Mastery

If you have ever watched Star Trek, then you are aware of the vaunted "logic" that Vulcans apply to all area of their lives. I've always said that Star Trek was about people, not about space, and I think those pointy-eared aliens may have been on to something…

Here on planet Earth, we are all bright and vibrant human beings, and our emotions are as much a part of who we are as any of the physical aspects of our lives. However, despite their lack of physical presence, our emotions have an invisible strength that can either carry us to unheard of accomplishments, or sink us down into an unfathomable personal abyss.

Unlike the stoic Vulcans, us mere humans have the ability to control our emotions without having to give them up, thus allowing us mastery over all aspects of our lives. The only question is whether or not you are going to exercise that control, or surrender yourself to the power of your emotions and then just hope for the best…

It is very easy to toss around terms like positive thinking, self-control, and even conscious creation, yet for many people those terms end up meaning next to nothing when the chips are down.

And that is where the Vulcans have us beat.

By giving up their desire to experience any emotions, they also removed the danger of having an inappropriate emotional response to any given situation. The average person here on planet Earth doesn't fair so well in a situation that evokes a stronger emotional response than they were prepared for.

However, by realizing that it is the "prepared for" part that is tripping us up, there is still hope!

Although there is no possible way to emotionally prepare for every single situation that might cause us to have a negative response, it is also not necessary to do so.

Most of us have but a small handful of situations that truly "trip us up" and cause us to experience emotions that are not in alignment with our goals. Those situations could include things such as:

• Fighting with your spouse or significant other
• Having disagreements with your co-workers
• Negative situations involving your friends
• Unexpected financial conditions
• Traffic or Commuting issues

You may have your own list of situations that cause you to jump off of the emotional control bandwagon, and if you do have such a list, it shares one common thing with the list above:

Every single one of these situations can be foreseen.

I'm not talking about foreseeing the actual events, but rather foreseeing the way that you would feel if those events happened to you.

Most people already have more than enough experience dealing with situations such as those listed, and with similar situations. Why is it then, that when we find ourselves in those same situations again, we have the same negative emotional reactions that we had the last time???

Do you need a reminder about the definition of insanity? Here you go:

Doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result!

• If you know that your spouse or significant other really makes you mad whenever you argue, then doesn't it stand to reason that you can prepare for that in advance?
• If you already know that your nosy or know it all co-worker is going to cause issues for you at work, can't you have a pre-selected response ready that doesn't cause you to have negative feelings? 
• If you have a friend who is starting to bring circumstances into your life that you do not want, is it not within your power to set up a process in advance for dealing with that individual?
• If you have ever been out of money before, then you are well aware of the way that it feels. In the past, did your negative emotional reaction to being broke do you any good? Why not prepare a more empowering emotional response in case it happens again?



• If your daily commute causes you emotional angst that you no longer want in your life, do you not have the power to prepare for that angst in advance by finding a way to have a more positive reaction to that situation?

By simply practicing the fine art of preparing for things that you already have plenty of experience with, you'll save yourself an emotional armageddon that could otherwise destroy a state of mind that can – and will – carry you to whatever victory you are striving for!

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