Anger Is A Compass, Not A Car

There is a lot to be angry about right now. If you aren't at least a little bit mad at the state of the world, you probably aren't paying attention. But here is the thing about anger: it is a fantastic energy source, but it is a terrible driver. If you let your rage sit in the driver’s seat of your life, you are eventually going to crash. You will burn out, alienate the people you love, and end up feeling more hollow than when you started. We need to learn how to use anger without letting it consume us.

Think of anger like a flare gun. It goes off to tell you that something is wrong. It signals that a boundary has been crossed or an injustice has occurred. That signal is valid and important. But once the flare is in the sky, you don't keep firing it forever. You use the light it provides to see where you need to go. You ask yourself, 'What does this anger tell me about my values?' If you are mad about inequality, that tells you that fairness is important to you. Now, what are you going to do with that information?

If you just stay in the 'mad' phase, you are just hurting your own nervous system. Chronic anger floods your body with cortisol, which wrecks your sleep, your mood, and your health. It is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemies to die. To protect your mental health, you have to find a way to metabolize that energy into something constructive. Whether that is creating something, helping someone, or even just cleaning your house, you have to move the energy out of your body.

Don't let the world turn you into a bitter person. It is okay to be outraged, but don't let that outrage steal your ability to see beauty and experience joy. You can be a person who fights for what is right and a person who enjoys a sunset at the same time. In fact, you have to be both to survive. Use your anger to identify the problems, but use your love to build the solutions. Keep your heart soft, even when the world is hard.