One day while I was eating lunch at my favorite restaurant, a woman and her little girl came in and sat down at the table next to me. The little girl was a bubbly little thing that seemed full of vim, vigor, and vitality. My thought was, “This mother has her hands full.”

After the mother-daughter team had their food served and all the little girl’s questions about everything had been answered, the mother stated that Ms. Smith said the little girl had stayed upset a long time that day. The little girl responded with, “Yes, mommy, I cried and cried and threw a big fit.” When the mother asked why she was upset, the child responded, “I missed you so much.”

The very wise mother told the little girl that it was okay to miss her, but Ms. Smith had other boys and girls to take care of, so it would be best if she found another way to be upset. The response was a simple, “Okay, Mommy.” I knew that I had just overheard an important moment in that child’s life. She was taught that you have a right to your feelings, but they should not be inflicted upon others.

Just as the case with this child, we have all had those moments when we have received instruction as to how we can make a right turn in life. If this child had been allowed to throw a fit every day, or had she been convinced that it was wrong even to miss her mother, then she would have been allowed to unknowingly make lots of wrong turns around feelings.

The problem is that we don’t always have a wise mother handy when our inner child makes a wrong turn. However, we do have a wise inner guide, if we will just learn to listen. So the next time you throw a fit that affects others, pretend you are sitting at a table ready to listen for the needed advice.

We do all have an inner guide. If you sit quietly waiting for her to speak, she will. Then all you have to do is say, “Okay,” and mean it. And the next time you are faced with that right or wrong turn, you will know which one to take.