I have been getting better at keeping my emotions in check.   As I work on managing all of life‘s crazy turns, I find staying focused to be extremely helpful.  Trying to minimize the number of surprises and becoming more aware of the trigger points that are around me are two very helpful things. I am intentional about recognizing situations that escalate the noise in my environment.  As the warning signals become visible, I move to prayer.  I focus myself on things that will deflect the situation.  That might include changing the conversation, moving locations, or possibly ignoring the invitation…