Why so angry???

As the summer draws to an end and I sit back to reflect on the passing season, I ask myself a question. Why is everyone so angry? On a family excursion this summer, we (4 of us) stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to decide where to explore next....quite angrily a passerby scolded us for taking up space. Driving in B.C. with Alberta license plates, we were often honked at...apparently interrupting the flow of traffic with our indecision . Back at home a headline telling us about a 10 year old hockey player slashing a referee several times after a call sends a clear message. People are angry!

Why is that? What is anger really? It is a strong emotion, which left unchecked can cause extensive damage to both the person feeling it and the recipient of those emotions. Anger is said to be caused by fear or pain...generally brought on by frustration. So, with that in mind, why are people so frustrated? What is keeping that passerby from simply saying "excuse me I need to pass by" or those other vehicles having a moment of tolerance realizing that we might be lost? How about a 10 year old being able to accept a correction during a "game"?

Is this a sign of the frustration and lack of control over anything that people are feeling right now? Is this how , for lack of a more effective way to express themselves, they are lashing out in anger? As the world spins faster and faster, lives become more hectic, boundaries become less clear..is this what we can expect?

How are we to stop this chaos from taking us over the edge? How can we regain our control over what we can control and tolerance for what we cannot control? Maybe we need to return to good old fashioned connection. When is the last time you sat down to supper with your family? Or connected over a coffee with a friend? Or went for a walk with a loved one? When did you last listen fully to your coworkers story? What does it mean to you to be "connected" and how do you make that happen?

In all this flurry and hurry of daily life and social media and internet happenings...how do we take a minute to reconnect....how do we get in touch with ourselves ....our loved ones .....our neighbors....society on a whole? Without connection, there is only chaos. Chaos as a creator of energy is a good thing, but left unchecked can become something much less positive. Let's simply stop and take a deep breath. Let's start to reconnect with ourselves, our family, our surroundings and our world. Let's take a minute to pause.....and master the chaos.

****I published this blog quite awhile ago, but reading over it today....it still rings true! People are so angry right now. There has been so much division created over the past 2 years...such a deep divide between us and them, depending on which side of the "covid shot" you are on. Everyone is so quick to point a finger, hurl accusations and label blame. How have we allowed ourselves to stoop to such levels as to shun our families over the holidays because they don't agree with us? We have distanced ourselves from once close friends, for not agreeing with our point of view.

Where does it end? It started with us...it ends with us. Reach out to your family, accept their differences. Embrace their uniqueness. Contact your friends , allow them to have their own beliefs. Connect with your co-workers....hear what they have to say, even if you don't agree with their point of view. Let's get rid of the anger (which is really just fear in a disguise) and get back to loving and helping one another.

What are you doing to get your life back? How are you dealing with your anger/fears? Do you need someone to talk to? We're here....let us know how you are doing.