I want to speak to one of the emotions resonating with me lately; Anger.
Anger is such a beautiful emotion. Not inclined to think so? Most of us aren’t.
We are inclined to believe that to feel and express anger will have detrimental and destructive impact to ourselves and those around us, that it needs to be explosive to be expressed.
I have only recently come to perceive anger in a different way. I have come to see anger as my compass. For so long I was resistant to my rage, fearful of its potential for destruction.
After unearthing the roots of my irritation, I have found it to be a source of wisdom. When I find myself feeling frustrated, I now have enough of a roadmap to know where to turn.
I know to turn inward so I can get to know the landscape of this irritant. Is this some deep-rooted insecurity within me, some long-held burden of existence? Is it striking the core of my being, dismantling one of my values? Ideally we don’t respond with anger, we respond with the emotion lying beneath it.
For me this often looks like grief, anxiety, or discontent.
Once I can come to terms with my anger’s root system, I chart a course for where the branches could lead. Is this something I have control over? Often, there is some element of the issue I have control over. This usually results in making an external change; anger often cues me that something is disrupted in my ecosystem. This is where you’ll find the next right action to reorient yourself towards what is true north for you.
The ability to sit with your anger rather than immediately take action requires courageousness and vulnerability. It is here where we can unearth sources of our irritation, and uncover what we value. Knowing these systems working within oneself are integral to who you are.
Anger can be illuminating if you let it. I hope you learn to sit with the darkness,
and that it sheds new light for you.