MANAGING YOUR ANGER

               I visited my Sister in Aba, Abia state some days ago. I noticed a cute teddy on her bed. I told her, "Sister Bunmi I love this teddy oh. I will be going home with it". She just smiled and said, "Monisola, that teddy is a mascot I bought to represent someone. When he offends me, every hurtful words I want to say to him I say it to the teddy instead of him, till the anger vanishes. That way I wont hurt the person".

I pondered over this for a while. I thought within myself, there is wisdom in this.

Anger is dangerous. Its an emotion that is VERY destructive. Never allow anger to rule you. Its like fire in one's bosom. You get hurt and the other person too.

Even the Bible says "Be angry, but sin not...." Where is the sin in anger you might ask? The hurtful words you say, the hate you allow to grow in your heart, the malice you decide to keep with the person, evil thoughts that spring up in your mind.

How do I handle my anger then?

- Take a deep breath, move away from the scene. This keeps your anger in a grip. It gives you space to think logically.

- Think about the situation and find out exactly what annoyed you. This will help you consider if it was worth getting angry about anyway.

- Once you know exactly what got you angry, find a solution to that problem. Think about an alternative action to solve it.

-Now that you have the solution, get busy! Don't allow thoughts of the incident mar your mood.

- You have resolved the problem? Then meet with the person who annoyed you. Tell him/her you have forgiven them. Be sure to let them know that you don't have issues with them again.

Or you could get a Teddy just like my sister (smiles).

 

 

Humbly submitted,

Monisola Tairu