I have been working with a lot of anger recently. Anger is such a hard emotion for people to cope with. On the one hand, the emotion itself is perfectly normal. Anger is a primary emotion. It is one of the first recognizable emotions in infants. It is not a nurture issue. It is nature. It serves a real purpose by assuring safety and protection. Anger isn’t bad… it’s what you do with it, who you let it hurt, how you let it hurt you, that makes it a problem. If you can can answer the question “what has anger cost you” by listing family, friends, jobs, your freedom, your happiness… it is time to learn how to manage that emotion. The costs of anger are high, but you can find help. Support groups, therapy, counseling are all excellent choices when your only other choice is misery.
Thought for a rainy Monday.