A monk decided to meditate alone, away from his monastery. He took his boat out to the middle of a lake, dropped anchor and closed his eyes to begin his meditation.

After a few hours of serene, undisturbed silence, he suddenly felt the bump of another boat colliding with his. He immediately grew angry at being interrupted and opened his eyes ready to scream at the clumsy boatman who had dared to interfere with his meditation.

But when he looked around, he saw only an empty boat that had become untethered and floated to the middle of the lake.

At that moment, the monk suddenly realized something: All anger comes from within. From then on, whenever someone irritated him or provoked him to anger, he reminded himself of the empty boat.

In reality, we all have anger within us. All it needs is someone, like an empty boat, to provoke it. Anger causes so many problems not only in society, but also personally. Anger can lead to unacceptable actions that we immediately regret. Rather than enabling us to see possible solutions, we become so entrenched in our own position that we become irrational.

Buddha, the religious teacher, said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Experts say extreme anger can add to our stress and take a toll on our physical and mental health, including elevating blood pressure, compromising liver function and causing stroke. Apply that to a business, and the results are financially devastating. The cycle is deadly.

Dealing with anger is a challenge we all face, and it is important to handle it constructively. When I feel anger bubbling up, I remind myself of a few key strategies:

Pause and delay. As Thomas Jefferson wisely advised, when you are angry, count to 10 before you speak. If you are very angry, count to 100. This delay gives you time to cool down and think more rationally. Don’t forget to take deep breaths to calm your nervous system and reduce the intensity of your anger. Physical activity can be a great outlet for the energy that comes with anger. A brisk walk or workout can help clear your mind.

Reflect and respond. If possible, step away from the situation that is making you angry. This can give you the space you need to think things through. Instead of focusing on the anger itself, try to find a constructive solution to the problem at hand. Never underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep. When you are well rested, you are more likely to control angry impulses.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher and lecturer, said, “For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace of mind.”

Or as I like to say, giving someone a piece of your mind rarely leaves you with peace of mind.

Perspective and empathy. Anger can lead to outcomes that nobody wants. It is better to walk away than to escalate a situation to the point of no return. Try to understand where the other person is coming from. This can sometimes diffuse anger and lead to a more empathetic approach to conflict resolution.

Remember that it is not about suppressing your anger but about managing it in a way that doesn’t harm you or others. It’s about choosing your battles wisely and expressing your feelings in a way that leads to positive outcomes.

Don’t let your anger get the best of you; instead, be the best despite your anger.

A man named Mark had a bad temper. One day he was complaining to his friend Hugh that no one wanted to spend time with him because he got angry so easily. He asked his friend, "What can I do?"

Hugh advised him to buy a few bottles of expensive wine and whenever he got angry, to break one in a sink.

Mark responded, “Why would I throw away good money and wine?”

“That is what you are doing when you get angry,” Hugh advised. “You are wasting your energy and your health, and harming your relationships with your family and friends.”

The next day Mark bought several bottles of fine wine. He eventually learned to control his anger -- and found a better way to use the wine!

Mackay’s Moral: An angry person is seldom reasonable; a reasonable person is seldom angry.

Ronald Reagan was 69 years old when he ran for President in 1980. Despite continual criticism, he won the election and never passed up an opportunity to use humor when referring to his age.

Perhaps the most memorable opportunity came when he was running for reelection four years later. During a televised debate between Reagan and Walter Mondale in 1984, Reagan was asked if he was too old to serve another term. Reagan was prepared and responded in such a way as to quiet his critics. “I’m not going to inject the issue of age into this campaign,” Reagan began. “I’m not going to exploit for political gain my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

As I get ready to celebrate yet another birthday, I think about the multitude of lessons that have not only shaped my personal life but have also been integral to my professional journey. Probably the most important one of all: You don’t regret most of the things you did; rather you regret the things that you didn’t do.

Let me share some of my observations.

Adaptability is essential. Life and business are ever-changing, and being adaptable is crucial to staying relevant and successful. Embracing change rather than resisting it has allowed me to grow and thrive in various circumstances. Stay flexible.

Relationships are priceless. The value of building and maintaining strong relationships cannot be overstated. Whether it’s with family, friends, colleagues or clients, investing in relationships pays dividends in countless ways. People do business with those they know, like and trust.

Be in school for a lifetime. No matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn. The business landscape is always changing. Staying relevant requires ongoing education. Being curious and open to new knowledge keeps you engaged and sharp.

Integrity matters. Honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of trust, and trust is the foundation of all lasting relationships, both personally and professionally. Always strive to be truthful and honorable in your dealings. Your reputation is your most valuable asset.

Listening is a superpower. Good communication is not just about speaking well -- it’s about listening even better. You can learn more from listening than you can from talking.

Health is wealth. Taking care of your physical and mental health is crucial. As you age, you realize that without health, nothing else is as enjoyable or even possible.

Humor is a lifeline. A good sense of humor can get you through tough times. It is important to take your work seriously, but not yourself.

Giving back. The importance of giving back to the community and helping others cannot be overstated. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of success.

Don’t be afraid to take a risk. Taking risks is an essential part of growth and success. If you win, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you open yourself up to new opportunities and experiences that can lead to personal and professional growth.

The power of persistence. Success rarely comes overnight. It often requires sustained effort and resilience in the face of setbacks. Stay persistent and don't give up easily. Learn from failures and keep pushing forward. Persistence often separates the successful from the unsuccessful.

Let go of worry. Worry is the most unproductive of all human activities. People get so busy worrying about yesterday or tomorrow; they forget about today. And today is what you have to work with.

Manage your time well. Time is a remarkable gift. You can’t work all the time, and you can’t play all the time. Try to strike a balance that includes work, volunteering, leisure and sleep. You can’t face life’s challenges if you don’t take time to recharge your batteries.

Be unapologetically yourself. There is only one you. Take time to think about what you truly believe in and what you want others to see. People will respect you for not compromising your principles, and they will know they can depend on you to be honest with them.

In business, the lessons you learn over time are your most valuable assets. They shape your decisions, guide your actions and ultimately determine your success. Embrace these lessons and let them steer you toward a prosperous future.

Mackay’s Moral: The more candles on my birthday cake, the more I have to reflect on the icing of life’s lessons.

I’ve learned over the years not to try to keep up with others; someone will always have more. To drive this point home, I always ask: Do you know what happens when you catch up with the Joneses? They refinance.

Competition is the breakfast of champions, not cereal. Whether you like competition or not, it makes you better and stronger. You should not only welcome stiff competition, you should actively seek it out. You will never realize your full potential in business or life unless you are challenged.

Competition has made me a better businessman, a better golfer and a better person. And when there isn’t another company or business to compete with, I try to outdo myself. If that sounds simple, well, it is. I always want to be at my best and show my best side. No one ever set a world record competing against themself.

As Mark Twain said, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

Competition is not just important; it is essential. It serves as a catalyst for innovation, efficiency and improvement. When businesses compete, they are pushed to refine their products, services and customer experiences. This drive to be better than competitors can lead to breakthroughs that might not have occurred in a monopoly situation.

Moreover, competition keeps businesses alert to changing market conditions and customer needs. It encourages companies to be more customer-focused, as they must differentiate themselves to win over consumers. This can lead to better quality, lower prices and more choices for consumers.

A problem I see all too frequently is that people are afraid of competition. Perhaps it’s because they fear losing, but I suspect a better reason is that they know they are not as prepared as their rivals. They are not willing to put in the necessary hard work, training and sacrifice. They think things will be easier for them than for others, possibly because others have made things look easy.

In my own experience, I’ve found that embracing competition has been a key factor in staying relevant and successful. It is important to study your competitors, learn from them and sometimes even collaborate with them to create new market opportunities.

One instance that comes to mind was when our envelope manufacturing company faced stiff competition from larger companies in the industry. These competitors had deeper pockets and could afford to undercut our prices to gain market share. It was a classic David versus Goliath scenario.

Instead of trying to compete on price alone, which would have been a race to the bottom, we decided to focus on what we could control -- our service and our relationship with customers. We doubled down on providing exceptional customer service, ensuring that our clients felt valued and understood. We also invested in our sales team, training them not just to sell, but to solve problems for our customers.

This strategy required us to be more innovative and agile than our larger competitors. We had to truly listen to our customers and adapt quickly to their needs. As a result, we were able to offer customized solutions that our competitors couldn’t match. This approach helped us to not only retain our existing customers but also to attract new ones who were looking for a more personalized service.

The competition forced us to be our best, to innovate and to never take our customers for granted. It made us a better company because we had to constantly improve and differentiate ourselves in a meaningful way.

Internal competition can also boost innovation and productivity. To foster a healthy sense of competition, we set up an initiative in which different teams within our company were encouraged to come up with innovative solutions to improve our processes, reduce costs and enhance our products.

We created a platform for these teams to present their ideas to the leadership, and the best ideas were not only implemented but also rewarded. This internal competition sparked a wave of creativity and collaboration that we hadn’t seen before. It broke down silos as teams worked together to outdo each other in a positive way.

The result was a series of improvements in our operations and a significant boost in team morale. Employees felt more engaged because they had a direct impact on the company’s success. It was a win-win situation -- the company benefited from the innovative ideas, and the employees enjoyed the recognition and rewards for their contributions.

Mackay’s Moral: Competition always wins.