I have a very bad temper. It would not appear that way. My anger is like a dormant volcano. When I was younger it would erupt in rage. It was a hard lesson for me to learn that I needed to confront my anger. I learned to deal directly with the sources of my anger and choose proper channels for expressing my anger. My goal became to move through the anger to arrive at a place of peace with my myself and the situation that caused my anger. Of course, I am still working on that goal.

I learned from a class that I took that anger is a secondary emotion. It helps me to dig in and explore why I am angry. Am I hurt about something? Did I experience a disappointment? Often when I address the underlying emotion, like feeling hurt, my anger dissipates.

The next time you get angry, pull out your journal and dive in. Take the journey through the anger and reconcile your emotions. This process can help you to gain a peaceful perspective about the situation. “Seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14

Here are some questions that you can ask yourself as your sort through your anger.

• Is the level of anger that I feel appropriate for the situation that caused me to be angry?
• Did something or someone cause me to become upset or hurt?
• What about my anger is legitimate and should not be ignored? What is the next best step that I should take?

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