Anger

Anger – one letter away from Danger

 

Anger is a much used but little understood emotion. Many feel justified with their angry reactions and others consider it ...to be a ‘natural’ fight or flight response. Yet those who have been down this garden path will realize that anger serves very little purpose and yet creates a lot more damage. It takes away our peace of mind, leaving us weak and empty. There is a lot of information out there about anger management, but on a spiritual path a more relevant question may be how we transform our anger.

 

Anger – simply a habit

 

When we do something over and over again it becomes a habit. Anger can be simply a pattern of behaviour that we have created over time as a reaction to a certain situation. Habits by definition are unconscious… so to become conscious and aware of our reactions means that we can step in and use the power of choice. Through responding rather than reacting we can begin to change our destructive thought patterns.

 

Anger – opposite of peace

 

The reason we want to be at peace at all times is because peace is our innate and original nature. If we are feeling anything other than that, then we will yearn to return back to that calm and still state. When we feel peace we are able to be in a state of acceptance, and a practiced yogi will realize that, not only is anger a useless emotion, but also that it is unnecessary. When we get angry we are in fact ‘out of control’ and anger is simply a sign that we are trying to control something that we cannot. This is not wisdom! If I realize that peace is my personal property, then I can choose whether I want to give it away, or keep it!

 

Anger – a secondary emotion

 

Anger is a secondary emotion that surfaces in the form of heated words, a loud tone and wild actions. The primary emotion is ego-based, and springs from fear or a sense of injustice. When the ego feels threatened our knee jerk reaction is to defend the anger.

 

Anger – a drug

 

Angry people often don’t realize that every time they get angry, the body excretes certain hormones that make them feel good (egotistical!) about themselves. This negative stimulus is like a merciless drug; it gives people a false sense of power. But in reality, it’s weak people who feel the need to use anger to manipulate and control others.

 

Anger – not a stress reliever

 

People often use the ‘anger tool’ to release a build up of stress and tension believing it will serve the purpose. However, these angry upsets do little to alleviate stress, if anything, they cause more damage to our health and our relationships. Be aware not to let stress build up. There are many stress-management techniques – Meditation being one of the best!

 

Anger – lack of discernment

 

When we are at the peak of our anger, we are at the trough of our discrimination and discernment power. In simple words, it make us stupid! This explains why much of the crime in our society is done in the heat of the moment. If you feel anger coming on count to ten and take a deep breathe.

 

Anger – a necessary defence

Often people use anger as a means to appear authoritative or to ‘get things done’. People are afraid of appearing weak if they don’t use anger as their first choice weapon of attack. But the truth is that they may get things done in the short-term, but will not win hearts and minds in the long run. Being assertive, not aggressive, is a much better strategy for success. But to be assertive takes self-respect, and the angry person is usually angry for the very reason that they have low self-esteem.

 

Anger – is not ‘happening’ to me

If we chose to see an act of anger against us as simply an act in a drama and nothing more than that, then we would likely not be so affected. Yet we make anger personal. When people use anger against us, just remember that it’s THEIR stuff, not yours, and in fact the person they are most angry with is themselves.

 

It’s time… to change your ‘garden path’ and to keep away from this danger of anger.

 

Yoga and meditation will actually heal you of it completely!

 

- Unknown Author -