Have you ever thought about Anger being similar to a brier patch? Think about out it. A brier patch starts out as a little bitty weed, sticking out of the ground. And if you chop it down pretty quick, yes it will grow back but it won't hurt you too bad to just pluck it out of the ground when its very small. However. it usually has a vine like root system that winds underneath the ground, that will sprout more briers. Again, you can pluck them out when they are very small, and it won't hurt too bad. However, they will grow back so your going to have to keep plucking and plucking them all summer long until the winter. And if you allow them to just grow they will absolutely take over your garden, your trees, and swallow up everything in their way. They are also much harder to cut down once you have allowed the briers to grow out of control. It is not an easy task and again, if you cut them down, they will grow back.
So how is anger like Briers? As a therapist I see clients about many different mental health issues. From marriage issues to parenting issues, Post Traumatic Stress issues, to depression, anxiety, to grief and loss and just about everything in between. One thing I have realized is that anger can be one of the most destructive emotions that we all experience. Anger and bitterness can start very small over something very insignificant. This would be the tiny little plant. If we deal with it in it's infancy, then let it go, yes it might come back, but we can learn to contain it. Anger, when not managed in it's infancy and not contained can absolutely take over your life just like the brier patch. Before you know it, you are angry about everything and everyone around you and it can consume you. The physical and emotional affects of anger are horrible on your body and on others around you. You in effect create your own hell. Anger can cause people to lose their desire for fun, cause physical and emotional pain, can steal your sleep, your joy, make your body hurt all over, lower your immune system, can destroy relationships, and leave you feeling along and worthless, or alone and righteous. Either way, your going to end up alone with your anger. Allowing anger to take over and swallow up everything that you once cared about. Allowing anger to cover up all the things you used to see as beautiful, because now all you can see is your anger.
My remedy is simple. First, I recommend getting to the Root! Just like the briers, if you get to the root of the anger, and deal with that, than you will have an easier time dealing with the day to day things that irritate us all. Such is the brier, if you cut out the root, you may have a few stray briers pop up here and there but for the most part, your work is done. Once you've dealt with the root, the trick is to keep your mind focused on other things besides anger.
My favorite is to focus on all the things I am grateful for. When anger starts to creep in, I have learned to deal with it head on, let it go and focus on what I am grateful for. The dealing with it head on usually entails identifying where it's coming from, understanding why I am feeling angry and usually setting boundaries or talking to someone about it. Letting the anger go is a conscious choice, where I set my mind to stop focusing on the anger and focus on the things I am grateful for. The food that I eat, the air that I breathe, the relationships I have, the God that I serve, the beauty that is all around us all, etc.
This helps me to manage my emotional garden so that I have more room for the good stuff. In garden language, you have to pick the weeds so that the flowers can truly bloom. Focusing on gratefulness helps to stave off the briers of anger and bitterness. Try it sometime. Make a list of all the things you can focus on in your life that you feel grateful for and see how you feel when you actively focus on those things rather than what your angry and bitter about. Let me know how that works for you. Please feel free to share what works for you!!
So how is anger like Briers? As a therapist I see clients about many different mental health issues. From marriage issues to parenting issues, Post Traumatic Stress issues, to depression, anxiety, to grief and loss and just about everything in between. One thing I have realized is that anger can be one of the most destructive emotions that we all experience. Anger and bitterness can start very small over something very insignificant. This would be the tiny little plant. If we deal with it in it's infancy, then let it go, yes it might come back, but we can learn to contain it. Anger, when not managed in it's infancy and not contained can absolutely take over your life just like the brier patch. Before you know it, you are angry about everything and everyone around you and it can consume you. The physical and emotional affects of anger are horrible on your body and on others around you. You in effect create your own hell. Anger can cause people to lose their desire for fun, cause physical and emotional pain, can steal your sleep, your joy, make your body hurt all over, lower your immune system, can destroy relationships, and leave you feeling along and worthless, or alone and righteous. Either way, your going to end up alone with your anger. Allowing anger to take over and swallow up everything that you once cared about. Allowing anger to cover up all the things you used to see as beautiful, because now all you can see is your anger.
My remedy is simple. First, I recommend getting to the Root! Just like the briers, if you get to the root of the anger, and deal with that, than you will have an easier time dealing with the day to day things that irritate us all. Such is the brier, if you cut out the root, you may have a few stray briers pop up here and there but for the most part, your work is done. Once you've dealt with the root, the trick is to keep your mind focused on other things besides anger.
My favorite is to focus on all the things I am grateful for. When anger starts to creep in, I have learned to deal with it head on, let it go and focus on what I am grateful for. The dealing with it head on usually entails identifying where it's coming from, understanding why I am feeling angry and usually setting boundaries or talking to someone about it. Letting the anger go is a conscious choice, where I set my mind to stop focusing on the anger and focus on the things I am grateful for. The food that I eat, the air that I breathe, the relationships I have, the God that I serve, the beauty that is all around us all, etc.
This helps me to manage my emotional garden so that I have more room for the good stuff. In garden language, you have to pick the weeds so that the flowers can truly bloom. Focusing on gratefulness helps to stave off the briers of anger and bitterness. Try it sometime. Make a list of all the things you can focus on in your life that you feel grateful for and see how you feel when you actively focus on those things rather than what your angry and bitter about. Let me know how that works for you. Please feel free to share what works for you!!
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