How to Control Your Anger

I like to get things done, and when things don’t go well, I have a problem with anger.

I’ll tell you a story to illustrate. Years ago, I owned a box that I used to take the cat to the vet. It had a flat piece of cardboard that went in the bottom, but I didn’t realize how important it was to have that piece of cardboard in place. I grabbed my cat and dumped him in the box, and he fell out the bottom because it opened up.

My response? Anger.

My children and I chased that cat all over the place. However, he knew what that box meant, and of course, he had no intention of getting caught. What self-respecting cat wants to visit the vet? Finally, he ran into the wall in the unfinished part of our basement, and no one could reach him. All of us called him and offered him bribes, but he refused to come out, which I expected. Cats hate being subjected to veterinarians and needles.

My watch told me time had escaped and if we left at that moment, we’d be late. I hate being late. And I knew we would never get that cat out any time soon. So I called to cancel my visit. That cat had made me a liar, and that was not acceptable.

I was so angry, I nailed a piece of wood over the place the cat disappeared and told the cat he could die in there. My children reacted in terror because they loved their cat. However, I had too much anger to tell them the cat would find a way out. At that moment, I truly wanted that cat dead.

Of course, the cat appeared when he knew the danger ended, but my kids never forgot. I tried to make them see I was angry because I couldn’t keep my word. However, I don’t think they ever believed me, and they have never forgotten that story.

Today I have Kathy Collard Miller, and she used to have a problem with anger. She wrote a book on anger and she shares how she conquered that nasty emotion.

Find Kathy here.