Managing My Anger

MORE ON RESENTMENTS “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Buddha There have been several instances where I allowed a situation to upset me. I would create a resentment, talk over and over with many about the situation’s unfairness, how I would have done it differently, what I’d like to do to whoever is in charge. This process would go on for days. What did I accomplish? For starters, people started avoiding me in the hallways – they were sick of hearing me hash out my rage. Secondly, I made myself miserable over something that was totally out of my control. Lastly, I inflicted my irritation and sense of injustice into my personal life, making my family’s home life chaotic. They, too, would begin to avoid me. The result? I am alone in my anger and frustration, blaming everyone, now, for not seeing my point, for not listening to me. In the end, it was because of the choice I made to be angry for a reason out of my control. This week, I will begin to make an effort to listen to ME. I will commit to catching myself in the process of going over and over something in anger and irritation which I cannot change. I will stop myself and focus on positive things, i.e. be grateful for the loving things in my life today. Journal Suggestion: The best way to whittle down a resentment to honest feeling and acceptance, is to journal all the anger out on paper until you are exhausted. Another way is to write a “Learning Letter”* so that you can be free of all the negative feelings you carry. What resentments are you carrying?