The last argument I regret was not a character flaw; it was a hijacking. My brain literally took my mouth hostage. This is called emotional flooding, and what I need to understand is that it is not weakness; it is biology. When flooding hits, my heart rate rises, my breathing becomes shallow, and my brain shifts into survival mode. In that moment, my intellect goes offline, and anxiety takes over.

There are times when I know exactly what I should do differently, and yet I still find myself doing the same thing. I have come to understand that the gap between knowing and doing may not be a character flaw as much as part of how I am wired. For years, it has been my job to read others' emotional states with care.

I have noticed that I can feel discouraged when old behaviors return. In those moments, it is easy for me to assume that I have lost progress. But I now understand that when stress rises, my brain naturally moves toward familiar patterns.