Can you change your life in five seconds? Perhaps not, but it can be a first step toward making a big difference in your life. Rather than saying or doing the first thing that comes to mind when faced with an angering or upsetting situation, give yourself five or 10 seconds to pause and reflect before you respond. The ability to delay your response is a form of emotional self-regulation. Many people have pointed to the power of delaying a response. The psychologist Victor Frankl observed: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Or we can take counsel from Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, who said: “When angry, count 10 before you speak; if very angry, 100.” Rather than react reflexively or impulsively, following Jefferson’s advice gives us time to reflect and prepare a thoughtful response, especially in difficult, confrontative situations. To exercise personal freedom, we need time to make a reasoned choice and wrest control away from our reflexive brain. The Pause that Reflects How …