We all have anger.
We all find different ways to deal with our anger.
Some of them help us, some of them don’t.
The most important thing is to recognize how we hold our anger.
For sometimes we appear to not be very angry.
We can seem calm and relaxed.
Yet underneath there is a raging fire.
Ready to burst out at a moment’s notice.
We start to snap at people for the smallest things.
We become distant and greatly decrease our communication.
Then we have a conversation that erupts into a full blown fight over something very minor.
And we end up wondering how we got there.
Our unexpressed anger can lead to a lot of trouble.
Sometimes the trouble shows up in our relationships.
Sometimes it shows up in our health.
Sometimes it shows up in our job or our business.
The surest sign is that suddenly there are all these angry people around us.
Honking their horns for no reason.
Bumping into us on the sidewalk and getting angry at us.
Where did all this anger come from?
It is a reflection of what is going on inside of us.
Yes, anger can be a powerful motivator.
If we recognize it.
If not, it can be a powerful force for disease and disruption in our lives.
First, we must recognize that it is there.
Then, we have to find helpful ways to release it.
Perhaps a strong work out.
Or a long cry.
Or beating up some pillows.
For letting it rule our lives by not dealing with it is by far the worst choice we can make.
For whether we deal with it or not, it will affect our life.
Perhaps the best way to deal with it is to transform it.
When we can forgive ourselves for being angry and have compassion for ourselves, then we can have compassion for others.
And if there are specific people we are angry at, perhaps we can transform that anger into compassion.
We never have to tell them, for it is not about them.
It is about us.
It is about why we feel the way we do.
It’s an internal state, and one we transform.
Let’s just be a little easier on ourselves.
And perhaps we can let that anger go that is not serving us.
What are you angry at today?
~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant
