If you’re in the midst of a job hunt, you probably think a lot about all of the things that are out of your control. The fact is, you can’t control the job market, the employer or recruiter’s time schedule or behavior, the traffic on the way to the interview…The list goes on and on.

You can, however, manage your own reaction to all of it, which I think is a good lesson or reminder for anyone in the midst of a (sometimes frustrating and long) job search.

Penelope Trunk recently wrote about one thing that should be in every job seeker’s control: the importance of being kind and its impact on your career. She says:

Living up to your potential is not crossing off everything on your to do list on time, under budget. Or canonizing your ideas in a book deal. Really, no one cares. You are not on this earth to do that. Trust me. No one is. You are on this earth to be kind. That is your only potential.

…If you want to live up to your potential, be as nice as you can be. Be as respectful as you can be. Be as honest with yourself as you can be. Because you can’t be honest wi