Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Anger Management.

"If you kick a stone in anger, you hurt your own foot." (proverb)

Well, I came by it honestly from my dad, who got it from his mother, but we all have anger issues. We have what is called a "short fuse." It's one of the things I hate most in myself. Yet, it seems to be something I can't really control. I realize there is probably a pill for it since there is a pill for everything, but I don't want to take any more pills. The one thing that is good about a "short fuse" is I seem to cool off quickly. It doesn't take much to set me off, especially while driving. I try to remind myself how imperfect I am, and believe me, I know I am. However, the anger rises up in me so fast it just spills out and usually hurts the people who I love the most. It's hard to stop a cycle of anger, but I certainly don't want Addie to have the same issues. Thankfully, she really does seem to have Justin's easy going attitude. Justin has really helped me with my anger, and made me much more mellow.

There are times when we should be angry, like injustices in the world. We need our anger to motivate us to change the world. Just as Christ was angered by the money-changers in the temple, we should be fighting for what is right. Maybe it's all about finding the balance.

Do not teach your children never to be angry; teach them how to be angry. ~Lyman Abbott

No comments: