The Power and Danger of Anger

Gritted teeth, clenched fists and a voice tight with anger do not paint a pretty picture but we've all been there. Sometimes, we get angry over the most foolish things.....a long line at the check-out, that driver who wouldn't let us in as the traffic light was changing, the endless loop of voicemail messages when we are trying to resolve a customer service issue with a company. n
All those outward expressions of anger are really attempts to keep from expressing it, when you think about it. And all those outward expressions stress our body every time we allow them but what's the alte
ative? Explode in uncontrolled rage? No, that isn't the alte
ative but, for many of us, that is the underlying fear. We fear that letting go and really expressing our anger will result in someone getting hurt so we implode, still hurt others, and hurt ourselves as well. n
It is a universal law that what you fear, you attract. The Secret has reminded everyone of this law of attraction and it was a reminder I think the world needed. So fearing anger attracts a situation where you will have to suppress anger out of fear....the fear that causes you to suppress the anger attracts yet another situation where you will have to suppress the anger out of fear.....get the idea? n
How do we begin to step off the fear track and onto manifesting and attracting situations that do not require suppressed anger as a response?

The first step, in my own experience, is to understand that anger is a response more than an emotion. What is unde
eath the anger is the real issue. I see anger as a kneejerk reaction my body is having to a deeper emotional trigger. Learning to remember that there is something deeper going on, in the midst of an angry reaction, has not been easy for me but it has been fruitful. n
Simply reminding myself that there is something prodding my anger and that anger is my body's way of telling me that something is surfacing for healing, something suppressed in fear of expression is emerging and requesting attention, helps me to calm down and gain perspective. n
The most common hidden emotions I see unde
eath anger in myself, as well as in most of those I counsel are fear of pain, fear of loss, feelings of hurt or betrayal and fear of disapproval. It has proven helpful to actually ask the anger what it's really angry about or afraid of because there is an energy to it that has intelligence. Meditating on an angry exchange can help your inner self reveal deeper issues that trigger the kneejerk response of anger. n
Let's take one of the examples I mentioned earlier. Suppose you find yourself just infuriated that you can't reach a real person with a problem about a product you ordered. You keep punching buttons and saying yes, no, or 1,2,3 into the phone in response to a computerized voice that never stops redirecting you. n
It's easy to just think the situation itself warrants anger and, if impotent anger (the kind where you yell at a computerized voice or at customer service people you can't even talk to yet) would shift the situation, it might be a viable choice. However, what usually happens is you just end up more frustrated, hang up the phone, stomp around for a while, and still don't get customer service....not that I know from personal experience..... n
What are you really angry about? If you considered that anger was a kneejerk reaction to a deeper issue, maybe what would surface is a belief system that is coloring your entire life, not just that moment. Perhaps you'd realize that you have this belief that no one really cares about you, or that your needs are not important, or that you have no power. n
You may also be able to track back to the beginning of this belief system. It may have had it's roots in childhood, during a situation where you felt powerless or uncared for. n
Once you know what the true root of the anger is, you will be able to make a more appropriate response. You may shift into a state of calm but righteous indignation, such as Jesus displayed at times, and be able to make powerful yet respectful response.