Healing Anger

Photo courtesy of Van Archiquette

What do we do when we get mad? What does it mean? Anger represents fertile ground for growth and change. We feel angry when we sense inner conflict; our perception contradicts our hopes or expectations. People get mad at us for the same reasons.

Anger represents looking our demons in the face; intensity implies powerful demons. When something or someone matters more than reason, we protect it with the strength of our wrath. The people who love us the most, feel the most hurt, and subsequently anger, when they fear losing that love. Temper also flares with perceived loss of  food, safety, love, self-esteem or self-awareness.  I'm not saying to put up with bad or abusive behavior- in ourselves or others. I am saying that our or others anger inspires insight.

Fury hounds us. It sits and waits in the back of our minds until we find peace within it. We may vent, however, after awhile life triggers our wrath again until we recognize our multi-faceted reality, realize emotions create life and allow love in- despite, and in many times because, of our humanity.

When you or someone you love gets angry, see it as it is- a journey towards grace that takes time to resolve. It signals inner conflict and strong emotion rather than indifference. For many of us, it means we care an awful lot or we would simply shrug and walk away.

Why do we behave so unkindly? Emotions narrow our vision and in anger, we have difficulty seeing past our mental desire to protect ourselves. Instead, we pass blame or try to change the situation through force. Discomfort opens a doorway into our core- our conflict between what we believe and what we want to believe. Our observer finds peace by viewing this discomfort with compassion and understanding.

In almost all cases, anger represents fear, anger stems from hurt and anger opens our subconscious to us. Maybe we're tired of only believing our fears and we're ready to also believe our dreams- irregardless of these transient, temporary emotions.