Page 15 - FS-Grizzly Bear

If that is how you feel and act, you are pretty normal. But just as in the story, going with what comes naturally will cost you. You will get in trouble for your fighting and you will fail your test. The older you become, doing what is “natural” will have even worse consequences.
You are not too young to learn to act like the third man in the story. He was also confronted by a grizzly bear. His immediate thoughts were just like the other two men and he was also angry and scared. The difference was that he did not let this “normal” reaction control him. He told himself to stop and think, “How should I handle this?" He came up with a plan based on what he knew about bears and stuck with the plan. In the end he survived and the bear left.
If someone is making fun of you or giving you a hard time... stop and think. “Is there any reason I should let myself get upset about what this person is saying? Why should I give them the power to control my feelings and behavior? Why should I get myself into trouble because of what they are saying or doing?” You don’t have to like their behavior but you should control how you react to their behavior. You control your reactions by controlling your thinking.
What about that spelling test? You don’t know the words and they are very difficult. How will you feel if you tell yourself, “They are just too hard and I will never learn them,” or “I am too dumb to ever learn these words.” You may feel sad or embarrassed and you will not want to study. You will find all kind of ways of avoiding studying. Then what will happen? You will fail the test!
12