Anger doesn’t fix things.
All of us get mad. We’re all irked, annoyed, frustrated, or outraged at times. It’s part of being human.
How we handle our anger is what’s important. Anger is a reaction to circumstances or situations. It isn’t intended to be a way of life. We want to pay attention to anger, but we don’t want to dwell there.
Anger does serve a useful purpose. It shows us where things are out of whack. It shows us that a shift is needed in order for us to be comfortable with the upsetting situation.
That shift may be external—avoiding a troubling scenario, speaking up for oneself, drawing clearer personal boundaries, taking action to call out injustice. Or the change can be internal—accepting responsibility for one’s part in the drama, looking for psychological projection on our part, altering our outlook on the situation, forgiving an upsetting individual.
Today’s message clarifies for me that anger isn’t a solution; it is a call to action. When something or someone upsets me, it’s time for me to make changes, likely in myself.
Please reflect and share. How do you handle anger?