| Harness your Anger |
|
|
| Gregory Grove | |||
| Thursday, 19 January 2006 | |||
 In one way or another, most of us are taught from childhood that anger is "bad", that it is something to be controlled or suppressed. Righteous anger (such as when our boundaries are transgressed) allows us to be assertive and to be clear on our standpoint; anger allows us to face and move through our fears; it motivates people to leave abusive situations (or to change them); it produces the energy to get things done, to make changes. So then, why are we taught that anger is bad? People in general, when confronted with someone exhibiting behaviour that makes them uncomfortable, will do everything in their power to suppress that behaviour. So when we see someone crying, for instance, we do everything we can to "comfort" them to get them to stop crying because WE are uncomfortable with their tears. When our children exhibit anger we seek to suppress it for the same reason, even pulling rank if we feel especially powerless: "Go to your room until you learn how to behave." Anger is no more bad than water is bad; one would not say that water is bad because a tsunami killed thousands of people, and thereafter refuse to shower. So it is with anger - anger is neither good nor bad, it simply is. However, anger is a powerful energy that can be used for good or bad and it is the misuse of anger energy that gives anger its bad reputation. We are all familiar with the concept of blind rage - when someone simply explodes and behaves in a destructive manner. We all recognise the behaviour when we see it - threatening behaviour, shouting, finger pointing, abusive language, physical violence and all the rest of it. But what about those who so fear their own and others' anger that they turn their anger inwards, suppress it? As mentioned above, anger is a powerful energy and energy cannot be destroyed, so this inwardly turned anger has to go somewhere; it does, and it manifests in many ways. It can manifest in physical symptoms - headaches, backaches, nervous tummy, even as a cancer. It will also manifest in behaviour - the so-called passive-aggressive. Behaviour such as sarcasm, spite, patronising others, blaming, not listening, smoking, not delegating, inflated view of self, being a workaholic, never satisfied, stonewalling, holding a grudge, alcohol or drug abuse, never getting angry are all forms of behaviour exhibited by "imploders", the passive aggressives. So what are the primary causes of anger? There are surprisingly few although the permutations are endless:
All too often the response to any of the above is to start arguing with the other person in a hopeless attempt to change them - to get them to see things our way, to see that we are "right". And of course if they are doing the same thing the result is predictable.
Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
|
|||
This is the powerful story of the author's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis and how a healer's unusual prescription of mindful altruism - to 'give away 29 gifts in 29 days' - ignited her energy, her happiness, and invited more abundance into her life.
