Email is something that many people receive every day. It can be solicited or unsolicited. Much of my unsolicited email makes it into the “trash” folder fairly quickly. That allows me to focus on the mail that is sent by people or companies that I engage with either frequently or infrequently.

• Sometimes the message is exactly what I want to read.
  
• Sometimes the message is not exactly what I want to ready, but the content is acceptable.
  
• Sometimes the message is upsetting either due to the content or the way the content is shared.
  

The choice I have when read emails and experience my emotional reaction to them is how I respond to the message. When a message makes me angry I never respond immediately! I re-read the message to make sure I have read it correctly and then I ask myself the question, “When I reply how would I feel if my reply were posted in page one of the newspaper?”

Asking that one question and using the answer to frame my reply helps me greatly. It prevents me from responding solely out of anger. It helps me choose terminology that is non-threatening. It helps me be the person I want to be! I like to behave with the standards I learned when I was a Boy Scout, which were:

Scout Oath (or Promise)

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.