Who needs clean air, repeal the EPA! Who needs Obama reforms to regulate the banking sector, get rid of them! Repeal the health care bill that is “too expensive” to take care of Americans! What climate change? It’s all a liberal sponsored sham…
To a person who is a bit more oriented on the welfare of others this can sound absolutely insane, out of touch with reality and a disgustingly ignorant. “Why?” you may ask yourself, “Why, would anyone be so arrogantly short sited?”
At times when scientists declare that we have only five years to revamp our energy sources or face major consequence, efforts like using reusable bottles or bringing your own canvass bag to the store can feel like passing gas against the hurricane in order to stop it. It seems utterly futile to fight basic human ignorance so why bother; it’s all going to hell anyways, isn’t it?
Is Anger an Effective Solution?
It’s hard not to feel angry, frustrated and on a verge of giving up. However, when one seriously searches one soul one cannot escape the thought of “What’s the alternative?” Do we just forget about it all and become like those “other” people who don’t care? Deep inside we know this is not the answer. Not now. Not when our voice may be needed the most.
The solution lies within our minds and inside our hearts but we must first deal with one "small" issue – anger. This beast seems to dominate the American landscape these days. But is anger a truly good solution? Not if you value a meaningful and lasting progress instead of a short lived battle.
It’s true that anger can spark a response or inspire new action but does it ever lead to a lasting victory? Almost never. At least not in the war that we environmentally and socially conscious types want to fight.
Sun Tzu said in the Art of War: “Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by contentment. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.”
Anger is an awful tool to seek change. It alienates people, devalues the cause one is fighting for and burns bridges that are later needed to bring the army home. Most importantly, let’s not forget we are fighting the enemy within. It is still “we the people,” Americans, friends and family with different point of views. This is why we owe it to ourselves to value each individual in the fight, that we be respectful, wise, strong, compassionate, merciful, just.
Effective Ways to Deal with Anger and Solutions:
So how do we manage our frustration and get back on our feet? Simple. We learn a few effective anger management techniques to shift our mindsets and spring into action. Here are a few tricks how to do it.
1. Always remember that you are a cell of this planet. We often forget that the ecosystem is a living "organism." Every bit that we do matters and not matter how trivial they may seem, our individual actions are part of the big web that have tiny ripple effects.
2. Reconnect with nature. We often lose sight what we are fighting for when our noses are in some magazine or computer screen 24/7. Visit the nature, draw from its serenity, let it alkalize you and inspire you with its gentleness.
3. Make up your mind to go down doing good then join the carless ones out of ignorance.
4. Take action locally - join an organization, put in some effort, educate your kids and friends. Find a local Occupy event and go!
5. Learn to inspire action by leading by example. It is a well-known fact that a gentle “drip system” is a more effective way to irrigate a field than a massive one time flood. Keep talking about the issues close to your heart with friends or keep asking your congressman to take action.
6. Start or join a community of like-minded people. This is super important to energize yourself with positive, action minded people who “get it.” Start a blog about environmentally-conscious living or green homes, find a Meetup in your area and focus on a consorted action.
Whatever you do, don’t do it out of anger. Do it out of inspiration and boundless compassion for other sentient beings. This is the only way to have strong and lasting ripple effects that will bring about the change you desire to see.
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