Anger: The Greatest Motivator of All

The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book,
An Inner Journey: Living Your Life Purpose.

When you experience the emotion of anger, you create one of the most extremely powerful energies that we humans have been given to work with.

Although powerful, the energy of anger isn't bad or good. It simply exists as energy. What you choose to do with it determines if it's bad or good. As with any energy, you can choose to use it in harmful ways or in beneficial ways.

Fire, for instance is an energy that we can create. Once created, some of it's beneficial uses may be to toast your marshmallows for your S'mores, heat your home, or cook your meals. The same energy can be used in harmful ways, such as in cases of malicious arson. It's simply energy, and what determines if it's good or bad, harmful or beneficial, is how we choose to use it.

The same is true of the energy of anger. Once created, it can be used in ways that are harmful to others or yourself, or it can be used to benefit all concerned.

An important fact about energy is that it's perpetual. Once created it cannot be destroyed. It can, however, be transformed. The transformation process occurs as the energy is used and whether it will transform into a beneficial or a harmful energy depends on the use chosen.

So, once you have created the energy of anger, you have choices about how you are going to use this energy.

• You can stifle your anger, stuff it inside of you. But remember, the energy you've created is perpetual. It won't go away simply because you're keeping it inside of you. What it will do is lodge itself somewhere in your body and create disease. The common question, "What's eating you?" is indicative of the anger stored in the person in question and represents the fact that it's eating away at their internal parts. High blood pressure, ulcers, colitis, and other digestive diseases are common in people who keep their anger stuffed inside of themselves.
• You can use your anger to create more anger by sharing it with others. When you give voice to your anger, such as telling everyone you know the story of what that so-and-so did to you, you share not only your words, you share your anger. This is not to say that talking about the incident is wrong. Talking with someone who can assist you in discovering a solution to the incident will help you transform the energy of anger into a beneficial energy of positive action. Using the energy of anger for simply complaining, however, grows the energy.
• You can vent your anger with hard physical activity, such as chopping wood, running, or working out. This transforms the energy of anger to physical energy, which is beneficial energy.
• You can choose to use the energy of anger to motivate you into creating a better situation.

  This is the highest purpose for this energy and is why we were given the emotion of anger.

It is the greatest motivator of all. You have the opportunity to use this energy to create something better out of the situation that created it in the first place.

An example might be a woman who is experiencing difficulties at work with one of her co-workers who undermines her and belittles her. She can choose to use her anger as a motivation to look more closely at exactly what it is that she is getting angry about. As a result of this process, she may discover how she has been in victim stance and has been giving her power away to the co-worker and others. She might then choose to set personal boundaries that will garner her the respect she desires. As a result of transforming her anger into the highest form for which it was intended - as motivation - she will enjoy a higher quality of life.

Look deeply into a situation that angers you. How might you transform your anger energy into motivation so that you might discover ways to change the situation into one in which all would benefit? How can you use this energy for the highest and best purpose for all concerned?

Kathy Wilson
680 Rainier Lane, Port Ludlow, WA 98365
Phone: 360.437.9328
Email: Kathy@warrior-priestess.com