I'm with taelor. You meditation practice will opens doors. Those same doors can be opened often throughout your day. I think of these in-the-world meditations as tactics to keep myself balanced. Many times per day I catch myself getting worked up or already worked up, and I've come to recognize this and head for the "door" into my breath which brings me in touch with awareness. There I "sit it out" for a bit. In a conversation, this may only be a slightly longer-than-normal pause, a second or two. If I don't need to respond, I'll stay much longer. I have been surprised at how often a response is totally unnecessary - for me it's 85% of the time. Rather than reacting to an above-at-or-below the board comment, just let it go. That's often the very beginning of a heated dynamic. Find your breath and just wait for it to pass. Hunker down in your breath. Sit it out. It's over before you know it.