Understanding and patience are two key attributes to have in today’s very angry society. People as a whole are prone to anger, there is a tendency to be quick tempered and easily inflamed. This statement can be applied to all spectrums in our daily lives from personal to business, from public interactions to community. With the tendency of being hot headed, the smallest infractions can set us off, for example having our loved one leave the tooth paste cap off the tooth paste, or being cut off in traffic. Let’s observe the example of being cut off in traffic. Our first initial reaction may be to glower at the person; then we proceed to cursing at them, then the trifecta, possibly taking it to the next level by getting even with our aggressor. At this point the anger has taken control of our actions, our thoughts our whole body mind. We hold to this anger and carry it through our day; it seeps into our being and deeply affects us, even on a cellular level. We may have a series of unfortunate events that follow this episode, (characterized as a bad day), the day that was filled with possibility was ruined by the shear fact that the anger that was felt and experienced got blocked, stayed and festered due to the inability to let go and not take the car cutting us off as a personal attack.
On the other hand, understanding that anger is a natural emotion can be beneficial. When experiencing anger in a healthy way it is the emotion that is needed as it spurs us into action which is needed to manifest change. The old adage comes to mind “I was so angry I finally did something about it.” Anger, on the positive side is one of the forces that spurs and antagonises change. Ex: Women Equality, until women got angry enough to stand up and effect change, little to nothing would have been accomplished. The key word is anger acting as a positive force. Without the driving force of anger, women would have been missing an essential ingredient, anger used for positive influence. This is anger used to manifest change. So then, if having anger is healthy, then whats the big fuss about?
The anger that pathological, too much and not directed in a heathly way -
to not allow anger to take over our being, not to act through shear anger or to allow anger be our only driving force. If one does happen to feel angry, it is important to not feel guilty about the fact that you have experienced anger, but, instead, to understand that if you hold the anger within that it will become a destructive force to you and to those around you. Just for today I will not anger means that you allow patience and understand to come before firing from the hip, to really explore and expand your consciousness with the knowledge and understanding that anger can be a force to be reckoned with, for growth or for destruction. Knowing now that anger can be the catalyst to our undoing, or a driving force behind the change manifested in our lives; it is crucial now that we give thanks for the many blessings that we do have presently in our lives. Giving thanks for blessings goes beyond, but does include, being thankful for health, family and friends. Blessings come in various shapes and sizes, the good, the bad and ugly. Disease, accidents, traumas and even, death is a blessing. Just as births, marriages, new advancements, health and loved ones are blessings in our lives. At first glance, one may have a hard time understanding that everything that happens in life or what one acquires (material and non- material) is a blessing. Even the most tragic events hold blessings with in it. You may wonder how a tragic accident or finding out that you may have a terminal illness can be interpreted as a blessing. Take for example receiving news that you have just been diagnosed with a potentially life threatening illness. Take for example, cancer. At first glance, one would experience this news as devastating but upon further reflection disease can give a new perspective and value to life and to those around you. From the day of being diagnosed a deep appreciation may be born. The things that were once taken for granted are looked on with fondness, the little things that used to cause major upset are now looked on with patience, the people in your life now become precious, moments become eternity and love and thankfulness take the front seat to your life.
