Don’t Let Anger Take Control

Yesterday morning, I woke up, and after drinking water and doing a quick stretch, I went to check if the email I had scheduled for the day was delivered properly to all of you. I've been working really hard to be consistent every day, making sure the email is delivered at the same time. And that had always been the case, until yesterday.

Sometimes systems fail, and yesterday was one of those days. The email wasn’t delivered at the usual time. So, when I noticed the email wasn't there, I started getting angry and frustrated and impatient.

I sent an email to the platform’s support team asking them to fix the issue as soon as possible. Then, I got on with my day. Still, I carried the anger with me. As I was driving and reflecting, I realized that I was still angry. And I thought that despite writing newsletters about the Yogi philosophy, living a meaningful life, and cultivating inner peace, I was being carried away by something seemingly insignificant. I had done everything correctly from my end, and the delay was due to the email provider's issues. There was nothing I could do. It was beyond my control.

It reminded me that emotions come and go, even for someone like me who is well aware of it. Of the separation between me and my mind. And who invests a lot of time reading about it, writing about it, and working on it.

I started thinking about the need to be aware that things like this will keep happening; that’s life. I will be tempted to get triggered. The Yogis teach that it is key to spend time in silence each day, so that when emotions arise, we are ready to use them if they serve us and discard them quickly if they don’t.

Controlled anger is sometimes good for getting things done or problems fixed quickly. Sometimes, due to our temperament, the emotion inevitably arises within us, and we can use it to our advantage. But it can quickly use us too. It can impair our judgment.

I realized that the emotion consumed more time and energy than needed throughout my morning. Instead of dwelling on the anger, I should have just used it as a tool to express my frustration to the email provider to get them to work on solving the problem. After reaching out to them, I should have let go of the anger sooner. It lingered longer than necessary and prevented me from being present and enjoying a peaceful morning routine. In the end, the issue was solved. The email was delivered two and a half hours later than usual. And I had started my morning with a somewhat negative attitude.

This serves as a reminder that you shouldn’t allow to be defined by strong emotions, like anger; they are just a tool for your expression. You can use them when necessary and discard them when they are no longer helpful, ensuring they don’t interfere with your intention to be present.