ANGER :: Are we killing off our most vital resource?
Clarity, action, boundaries, passion, love weren’t at all words that would spring to mind when I thought about Anger.
These days I’ve discovered that these words are some of the many (still somewhat hidden) purposes of this vital energy that is widely held with contempt.
Anger is just that… an energy. A neutral energy and resource that most of us have had no training in. Archetypally this energy is the fuel for the Warrioress/Warrior who wields the Sword of Clarity.
When it comes to understanding feelings there is very little in the way of education around what they’re for and how to use them.
Considering we humans feel every day… it’s sort of shocking that feelings, or emotional wisdom, aren’t a mandatory subject at school. It seems it is part of ‘being human 101’.
If we don’t learn how to wield our sword skilfully we may accidentally (or intentionally) cut someone’s head off.
It is the same with Anger; a tool that we can learn to wield in order to bring about greater clarity at times of indecision, take clear action towards change, start something, end something, set and maintain clear boundaries and connect to the force of our life’s purpose... our life force.
When you hold on to an old story of Anger that sees it as violent, dangerous, volatile, unacceptable, obnoxious, selfish, disruptive… (add your words here…) then you also cut off your access to the gifts it has to bring.
This old story of Anger is only one side of the coin. An outdated story of emotional Anger that involves, control, violence, deceit, danger, corruption… etc. The story that is currently (predominantly) ruling the world.
This is the story of unconscious emotions in general. And the unconscious use of Anger is where unhealthy actions come from. As you need Anger to take any kind of action.
The new story of Anger begins by first making a vital distinction between the pure feeling of Anger and the enmeshed charge of emotional Anger.
If emotional Anger is ruling the world then is it possible that the pure feeling of Anger could transform and reclaim it?
As Soraya Chemaly states in her book, Rage Becomes Her - The Power of Women’s Anger:
“If it is poison, it is also the antidote.”
It’s all well and good to spend millions of dollars educating people how to save the planet and/or themselves but if they don’t have a healthy connection to their Anger NO RESPONSIBLE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.
You need a healthy and vital connection to Anger for anything to get done. Anything!
Thing is, the powers that be don’t really want you in your power so perpetuating a story that all Anger is BAD really serves them well. That really connects me to the power of my Anger as the driving force to write this article and offer the Anger work that Gero and I created within The Art of Relating.
I invite you to reflect on these questions about your relationship with Anger:
The bold statements suggesting what possible causes & action steps.
- Are you wondering why the things you want to change in your life aren’t really going as planned? Without the clarity of pure Anger decisiveness becomes foggy and actions aren’t taken. Releasing old emotional Anger may be a key here.
- Do you know something needs to change but don’t quite have the clarity of where to start? Or can’t find the motivation? Draw in the energy of Anger. Intnentionally invite it to flow through your bones. It’s a resource you can call on whenever you need it.
- Are you regularly turning your Anger inwards on yourself and become resentful doing things for others that you don’t really want to be doing? Learn to release suppressed emotional Anger and how to draw on pure Anger to find your clear No… and your Yes.
- Do you want to see more people, yourself included, more actively participating in a radically responsible life? Make Anger one of your closest allies; it serves you to take a stand and be a voice for that which you love dearly.
- Want to commit to those daily practices that you know will serve you if only you could stick to them? Invite your Anger to declare and hold your own internal boundaries.
What if the most vital resources on the planet right now aren’t only things such as our air and water qualities or scientific evidence?
What if the way to support all cycles of life (and death) on Earth is to connect to the energy that we need for any action to occur in the first place?
Information is useful but without clear, passionate, direct and creative action nothing will happen. We need a relationship with Anger (along with our other core feelings, Sadness, Fear & Joy, for to be truly informed and alive in the world.
What if Anger is one of our most vital resources? Can we claim it back before it’s too late?
With fierce love
Stacia Karina Beazley
Warrioress in Training
Stacia is a researcher of radical human relating who is fed by challenging social norms. She is a writer, speaker, wisdom keeper, facilitator and world bridger.
PS. Thanks for reading!
See our Reclaiming Anger Program website page for upcoming Anger trainings.
