Day 16: Making Peace with Anger

What a day, what a day! I'm exhausted, but happy. Two hours ago "happy" was the LAST word on my mind. I think I would have gone with angry. Not just angry, but ready-to-punch-someone-in-the-face angry. Yeah. That kind. lol I've only experienced it twice since my divorce, but tonight it consumed me, entirely.

It all began when I went to Karate. (Karate wasn't the source of my anger, but I'm sure you already knew that). It was a really aggressive class and as I sparred, anger found it's way to the surface, then began to overflow. After I got home I really surprised myself with my urge to throw, scream and punch - so I went to the gym instead. I sprinted for a bit, beat the crap out of a kickboxing bag, lifted weights then beat up the bag some more. (I know what my next investment is). Needless to say I'm shaky, weak and happy.

Someone once said, "Holding on to anger only gives you tense muscles." Ironic, I just discovered that letting go does too.

TODAY'S FOCUS: Live well, Laugh often, get angry. WELL! It serves it's purpose. As with every emotion, it needs to be acknowledged and appreciated - then dealt with appropriately. Because it's such a powerful emotion, it can be used as your ally to spur you forward to great action, or as your enemy, moving you to violence if revenge-based. Harness it and use it well.

Suppressing anger is not the answer! As you do so, you block out fear and pain as well, which disables the flow of emotional energy and inhibits your ability to experience love. Let it go. Indulge a little - but in a healthy way. (Thus the punching bag). Me? I usually go for a run, clean my house, or set a goal to try to take over the world, Pinky.

QUOTE: "Try to learn to breath deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough." -William Saroyan