Cup of Inspiration

Today’s post reflects on a quote from my Franklin planner for October 6^th:

• “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.” – Benjamin Franklin

We have all been wronged by others in life. Perhaps you were cut off by another driver on the way into the office this morning. Someone spilled coffee on your dress shirt shortly before a big meeting with an important client. You just found out someone in the office has scheduled vacation time when you were already making plans to go out of town that week.

Sometimes those wrongs are far from petty. You were abused by those who were supposed to protect you. You just found out the love of your life has been cheating on you. Your management has announced that you’re being laid off at work despite sacrificing countless hours in the office away from family.

Your anger may not even be directed at a person. Your doctor has just confirmed you have a terrible disease. You got the phone call informing you that a loved one is gone.

It is natural to feel anger. It isn’t fair that you are hurting. It isn’t fair that you are struggling. It isn’t fair that you are the one without the job, without the home, without the security you had worked so hard to achieve. Cancer is supposed to happen to someone else, not you, not at this young age.

While it is normal to feel anger, what isn’t healthy is to allow it to fester. Holding that anger within you will ultimately harm you, not the target of that anger. Holding that anger in will cause your blood pressure to rise, it will take away joy, it will cause you to be blind to the kindness of others. The longer that anger boils inside, the more likely you will not see others who are trying to show you compassion.

When that hot burning anger flares up, stop for a moment. Look at where you are directing that anger. Will that anger take away the pain? Will that anger make the problem go away? Will that anger erase the wrong? Now, breathe. Close your eyes and say a quick prayer. Stop focusing on the anger and focus instead on a solution.

That solution may be planning out the next steps for a job search. It may be looking for a new home. The solution may be to start researching how to get healthy again. Even if the situation is petty, like a driver cutting you off on the way to the office, the solution can be to just focus on getting to work safely so you can get back to your family that night.

In cases where there seems to be no solution, look to gratitude. Be grateful for the time you had with a loved one. Be grateful for those who helped you escape an abusive relationship. Be grateful for those who will give you a shoulder to cry on when the pain is too great.

There will always be reasons to be angry. What is lacking are the reasons to allow that anger to consume you to the point that you can’t move forward.