Do you have Self-Control

"Man allegedly killed girl for taking yogurt"
This article in yesterday's paper is about a 7 year-old girl in New York who was killed.

It was difficult to read being a father who happens to have a 7 year-old girl.

Anyway, apparently, the step-father of the girl had little patience for her unruly habits of breaking toys, taking milk from her siblings, taking money from her parents and breaking their computer printer. The last straw came when she took a cup of yogurt from the refrigerator that she wasn't supposed to have.

Let me pause, right here.

If anyone reading this doesn't have enough yogurt or whatever and is tempted to harm their child because of it, get some help!

Okay. I’m a father of a 7 year-old, who’s done ranting, so…

Back to the story:

The girl’s name was Nixzmary, and after she took the yogurt, Cesar, the stepfather, went into a rage, stripping off her clothes and beating her in front of her mother. Then Cesar dragged her into the bathroom and repeatedly dunked her head under cold water. He then carried her lifeless body and tossed her into a small room.

This story reminds me how important it is to have self-control, because if you don’t you could end up like the step-father who is now going to serve 12 years in prison.

Developing self-control isn’t easy, especially if your parents didn’t model it for you.

Most of you reading this have all the self-control you need, however for those few who need more of it, here are some ways to get more of it:

1. Get a good book and read about it. (I did a search on Amazon.com and found 1,893 results for books about self-control. So there are plenty of books available.)
2. You could also talk to that person in your life that you look up to as someone who is wise, someone who has been around for awhile. (Preferably someone who displays self-control.)
3. Counseling at a local church or synagogue has helped many people overcome weaknesses and bad habits.
4. If you know someone else who’s in a similar stage in life, who also wants to be a better person, you could ask them to be your accountability friend.
   
   This means you and the other person make a commitment on things you will or won’t do and also that you’ll talk every week or so about how you’re doing. (Ideally this would be someone of the same sex if you are married.)

Thanks for your patience with me on this one. It really got me when I read the article.

Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Al Abidin
Director,
Cutting Edge Combat
Self-Defense for the real world!