Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame. Benjamin Franklin
A story is told of a young boy who continually lost his temper. So to help him gain control of his emotions, his dad gave him a bag of nails and a hammer and told him to go out to the back fence and pound a nail into it every time he got angry. At first the boy made a couple of dozen trips a day to that fence. But then over the next few weeks his trips diminished as he discovered it was easier to hold his temper than drive nails through a fence.
After the outbursts decreased, his dad told him that for each day he held his temper, he could pull a nail out of the fence. Finally, all the nails were gone, and the young boy took his dad by the hand to show him. His dad responded with great pride, but then he also pointed out that the fence, scarred with the wounds of nail holes, would never be the same.
Be careful with your anger and outbursts of temper because even though the recipient of your energetic display says things are fine afterwards, a scar is left on the psyche. You can kick someone and say you’re sorry, but the wound has been inflicted and you can’t control how it is interpreted or internalized. When you feel your emotions rising, it’s always best to still the body, quiet the mind, and remember Spirit first.
Spiritual Contemplation: When have you allowed your anger to damage a relationship? Even though the other person said everything was fine, you knew it wasn’t. Was this worth your outburst?
Affirmation: I quiet my mind in all emotional moments. I express my anger appropriately with doing harm. I am at peace in my relationships.