We have all heard the phrase "you can't fight fire with fire" at some point in our lives, but it wasn't until last year that this finally clicked for me. I understood this when I became aware that I truly hold the power in any situation: the power to either engage or walk away and move forward.

Of course, this is easier said than done, but what do you really get from stooping down?

By stooping down all you are doing is building your pride and feeding your ego. This will not only just create internal negativity, but it leaves situations open to being escalated into who knows what.

When you choose to rise above, sure, maybe your pride is hurt, and you may have let someone think they have won, but you get to move forward stronger willed than before. Every time you choose to walk away you don't actually lose; in fact, in walking away you have won.

We fight back in anger, in fear of "losing" or being seen as weak, and why do people instigate? To make you angry, to get that reaction, and to see you lose your cool, so engaging only lets them hold that power.

This can seem like a hard concept for some people. Even in situations where I have chosen to walk away, I've found people can even believe they "won", but life isn't about battles or winning arguments. Your peace comes before all of this.

Remember, you hold the power, always. When you find that someone makes you angry, you allowed them to, so reacting to them is giving away your power in that situation. Again, being able to remain calm is not always very easy, and you are not always going to be able to brush everything off.

But every time you choose to rise above or walk away, you strengthen your mind, you grow as a person, and your tolerance goes up.

And for those of you who are even more mentally mature and aware, I propose a concept. A person provoking this type of situation is only doing so as a reflection of their own internal battles they have yet to work through, as they would be strong enough to walk away otherwise.

We only have the ability to control our own actions, and understanding this can allow you to stay positive and be impeccable with your words. This positivity might even influence the other person to be stronger or grow mentally.

Someone that is truly mature will understand that some people are just not meant to be in our lives permanently and can move forward without wishing negative on those people. In fact, they even wish for growth and blessings as they part ways. So, your strength can be inspiring too, regardless of whether the person admits it or not.

Across all walks of life, it is always more rewarding to remain true to yourself and your beliefs than to allow somebody to get the best of you.