Taming the Beast…
How’s your temper? Do you sometimes feel like exploding with anger, outrage, frustration and indignation? Join the club. It’s a very common reaction, especially in these high-pressure, high-stress days when we never seem to have enough time to take care of everything. Whilst it’s helpful for each of us to understand our emotions and rationalise our reactions, it’s even more useful to discover where all these powerful feelings come from. In other words, when we identify the source of our anger or the real reasons for our temper outbursts, we’ll be better equipped to manage our emotional fluctuations. So, where do these feelings originate? That’s a great question. Let’s take a closer look.
One of the most unexpected insights into the nature of our negative emotions was delivered to me by an extraordinary teacher in India. He suggested that all of our negative feelings can be traced to a common root. He contended that all of our negative emotions grow of our fear. When we identify the source of our fears, we will find the root of our anger. It’s an intriguing concept but well worth exploring because, instead of asking yourself what has made you angry, you can learn to ask yourself a much better question: you can ask what you’re afraid of. On the surface, there might not be an obvious connection between your anger and your fear. But, just as surely as the leaf is linked to the root, so your anger draws its strength from your fears.
The good news is that your fear cannot survive the scrutiny of your logical mind. When you expose your fear to the light of reason, it withers and loses its power to overshadow your emotional landscape. This is a life-changing revelation that will gift you the priceless ability to tame your anger and free you from the illusion of your fears. It isn’t a question of suppressing your feelings. Rather, it’s a gateway to a world of inner, peace, calm and wisdom. Anger in this realm can only exist if you deliberately and consciously summon it. The beast of your anger has finally been tamed.