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Step back, the command that gives safety, point of view, and distance. Firemen shout it just before a building falls. Painters back up to examine their work. When feelings overcome logic, therapists recommend it.
Stepping back from circumstances means stop living inside the problem and look at it from without, where answers become apparent. But back also can mean withdrawal, leaving behind, surrendering when moving forward is most crucial.
Relationships call for knowing when to step back: letting independence instead of control and providing space rather than smothering. Parents have to back off as their kids develop; a painful, vital separation.
Step back from the ledge both metaphorically and literally. Beginning with rage before speaking. From transactions prior to making a purchase. From obligations preceding approval.
That brief gap between intent and action where knowledge resides.
Sometimes stepping back is strategic repositioning, not defeat. To move ahead later, pull back to live today.