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Learning how to let go of anger is a critical step in your personal development. Without it, you’ll hold onto resentment that could prevent you from finding success and happiness in your life.<\/p>\n
Of all of the negative emotions we have to deal with, the most debilitating of them is anger. Anger can run and ruin lives. That’s one reason why it’s so important to turn your focus toward learning how to let go of anger rather than holding onto it for years.<\/p>\n
I was angry at my dad for years. When I was a kid, I had this coin collection that I was really proud of, and I kept the coins in this piggy bank. My dad knew where I kept it and one day it was just gone. My prized collection that\u2014in my mind at least\u2014I worked so hard for just disappeared. Eventually, the piggy bank reappeared, but when I angrily accused my father of stealing \u2026 let\u2019s just say he responded pretty angrily, too.<\/p>\n
I thought of it as one of those things that \u2018just happens,\u2019 and you move on, yes?<\/p>\n
Throughout my adult years I never re-examined that incident. I never considered his side of the story. My perspective was, “I\u2019m right and that\u2019s that!” Fine and swell except for one problem: I unconsciously decided that men weren\u2019t to be trusted with money or anything else. The anger and distrust were holding me<\/em> back, not him. Think that had an effect on my long-term success and happiness?<\/p>\n Most of us are run by our past circumstances.<\/strong> We play the victim role based on an idea that it\u2019s all our parents\u2019 fault for how they raised us.<\/p>\n \u2018You want me to be a success? I\u2019ll be a failure just to show you what a lousy parent you were!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n The most important thing to the conditioned mind is to be right.<\/strong> And when we\u2019re angry, it\u2019s usually about not getting what we want. So, we feel justified in our position in the moment. Then, we retaliate by not giving the person that we\u2019re angry with what they want. Meanwhile, we\u2019re often going down the drain with or without them, true or true?<\/p>\n So, five different cities, 12 different businesses, 14 different jobs and 35 years later, I learned my dad was actually showing my prized coins to his poker buddies. He didn\u2019t want to confuse my coin collection with the poker pot so he just kind of stashed it away and forgot to put it back where I kept it. He was proud and protective, not a thief. Only when I became aware of why I wasn\u2019t settled down\u2014as a form of rebellion, anger and retaliation\u2014I was able to make a new choice and build lasting success in life.<\/p>\nDon’t Let Your Past Experiences Determine Your Future<\/h3>\n