Nothing But Danger That is

I had never heard this proverb, so as I was writing the text I thought of all the times I was angry and led myself straight into situations filled with danger. Emotional and relationship danger that is, the times when instead of stepping away or being quiet I let my anger get the best of me.

Over the years I have figured out what punches my anger button, and how to diffuse things before it all goes bad. I must admit I learned that only after a few experiences that went awry. Learning has occurred on my part which has helped me let my angry energy out in more productive ways. I usually do something that exerts a lot of energy – clean, ride, gardening, walking – which gives me an emotional and physical break from all that anger brings to do the door. In other words spend the energy that anger has created in a way other than getting back at what originally made me angry.

When we forget that our emotions get the better of things, words, actions, decisions, and even important relationships can be greatly impacted. We reveal more about ourselves than just what makes us angry when we behave without restraint; we reveal our inability to handle things in a professional manner, with respect for ourselves and others. Our own actions – not what it was that made us angry – now lead us down a dark path towards danger. Once on that path it takes humility, behavior changes, and a lot of apologizing to head back to square one.

We all have buttons that get pressed or pulled which activate our emotions. The anger button has the unique power to lead us into danger from which we may not be able to escape. Knowing ourselves, knowing our buttons, knowing how to diffuse them, and knowing when to simply walk away is major self awareness. Acting on that knowledge is the first step towards wisdom and better relationships. Let us hope that today when we feel that anger button getting pushed we have the wisdom and courage to stop the madness before danger creeps into our lives. Nothing good ever comes from acting out of anger, nothing but danger that is.