I remember the date, place, people with me, and cause the last time my anger overcame me. To be honest, anger was often lurking just below the surface looking for a trigger event to take over. From the time I was a youth, I could flip from quiet to not quiet, so to speak.
Ancient wisdom tries to teach us about becoming the master of our emotions.
Science meets wisdom. In a recent newsletter on health and fitness, Arnold Schwarzenegger writes:
When stress hits, most people think they need to shut down their emotions to stay in control. But real control isn’t about avoidance—it’s about awareness. Emotions are messengers, not marching orders. The goal isn’t to feel nothing. It’s to learn how to feel without losing yourself. If you’ve ever been told to “just let it go” when you’re stressed or upset, you probably rolled your eyes. But there’s actual science showing that accepting difficult emotions — instead of fighting them— rewires how your brain works. Accepting your emotions activates completely different brain networks than trying to suppress them, leading to less rumination and self-criticism.
Some people let go—much to their later recriminations. Realizing that expressing that emotion may not be appropriate, we try to suppress it. Schwarzenegger paints this picture:
Think of it like this: suppression is like holding a beach ball underwater—it takes constant effort and energy. Acceptance is like letting the ball float on the surface—no struggle required, and your brain can redirect that energy elsewhere.
I often turn to the wisdom of ancient Christians. In this case, the master of psychology, John Clymacus, aka St. John of the Ladder, who wrote The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
He says:
The first step toward freedom from anger is to keep the lips silent when the heart is stirred. I say, Amen to that, brother. The next, to keep thoughts silent when the soul is upset; the last, to be totally calm when unclean winds are blowing.
Achieving this calm can only come if we have practiced becoming calm through meditation and intentional prayer.
And another thing from John—All anger and bitterness disappears before the fragrance of humility.
Humility may be a tough path for us Americans. Maybe for other humans, as well. Yes, another practice—putting others before ourselves.
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 