For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

First allow me to apologize for the lateness of this post.  Time just really got away from me today.  I don’t know how, or why, but it did.  So anyhow, let’s talk about anger for a bit.  Please note that I am not saying don’t get angry.  That’s like asking the sun not to shine.  Anger is natural, and anger is in fact, healthy.  What’s not healthy is hanging on to anger.  It doesn’t do you any good at all.  When you hang on to anger, you’re robbing yourself of so much, and it’s going to end up hurting you.  Moreover, it does nothing to the person that you’re angry with.

The kids I work with at school do fairly stupid things on a regular basis.  They act out, say hurtful things, swear, and get into fights. They get mad, and often that anger is directed at the adults in our program.  Guess what? I get angry right back, and I don’t have a problem letting them know that I’m angry.  But then, it’s gone.  The next class period is a clean beginning.  Why?  Because my hanging on to anger isn’t going to change them, and it’s only going to show them the wrong way to behave.  Instead, I’ll talk with them, let then know what I think and why, and then I move on.

Like I said, anger is normal, and expressing your anger is healthy, and necessary.  But don’t hang on to the anger and let it grow within you.  To do so robs you of something precious.  It robs you of your time, your happiness and of your life.  Use the anger, if you must, and channel it into healthy pursuits, but don’t hang on to it.