I met Anger shortly after turning the age of forty. It was not an amiable introduction. No pleasantries were exchanged – not even a handshake and certainly no eye contact was made. Instead, my body felt like it had been taken hostage. I felt out of control as a foreign wave of emotion swept through me. My face was flushed, my hands were clenched and my feet seemed to be frozen on the floor of the department store where I stood glaring at the unsuspecting clerk. After being shuffled back and forth three times to two different departments to find an item, I yelled at her and told her to get on the phone and find out where the item was for me because I was the customer. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw customers backing up their carts. Anger had now met Mortified and Shame. The clerk reached for the phone to call for assistance. I tossed my items aside and we all walked to my car and drove home. I went to bed as I was hoping to sleep them off. Clearly, Anger was not going anywhere. He had been locked up for 40 years. Mortified and Shame seemed to be making themselves at home and had introduced themselves to Happy, my primary emotion, and Sad who had made some infrequent, special guest appearances.
I called my good friend, Sarah, in the morning and explained what had transpired. She was very empathetic and tried to normalize the situation for me. But nothing about it seemed normal.
I went downstairs and discovered the likely reason my body felt like it was buzzing. Happy had passed out on the floor from exhaustion clearly needing a break from its starring role of 40 years. Sad, Shame and Mortified were spewed all over my living room seemingly plotting their new roles.
Faced with a cast of unknown characters and to live a more honest and fulfilling life, and in my second attempt, I now found myself in front of a counselor seeking help to navigate my way through these unchartered waters.
The Stellar Way, Discovering the Star Within, is a product of years of researching, creating and testing the bibliotherapy-based curriculum. In two separate studies it was found to be statistically significant in the areas tested. It’s a reflection of both personal and professional experiences and has been designed to ameliorate anger long before it becomes problematic. The supplemental guide is coming soon! Find this book on Amazon at http://a.co/2NS5NXn
Tomorrow’s blog: My first counseling attempt
20
0
665
