Anger is a problem, anger gets you in trouble and can often make you do things you would usually not do.  Anger is often a reaction to someone or something that can easily cut you as deeply as it would cut whoever you are trying to keep away.  It is so important to control your anger in life because it can negatively affect you in so many different areas of your life, parenting, school, work, marriage…pretty much everything.  If you are in a situation at work where someone else seems to be attacking you verbally and you were to get angry and retaliate there is a good chance of you being the one who is disciplined. Now if you let whatever they are saying wash off you with no impact on your behavior and just move on with things there would be no repercussion for you.  Hopefully someone addresses the other employee but that is not really your concern considering you can only really control yourself.

You can’t control anyone except yourself

I think that’s the real lesson here.  You can’t control other people, what they say, how they act or how they think of you or treat you.  You are in complete control of yourself and your reactions. Many of us have forgotten this fact and we feel that other people are to blame when we react to them in anger or any other number of emotions.  In reality, it is absolutely your fault since you are the only one who can control yourself and no amount of influence from outside your body can really control you.

When you don’t let things affect you life will feel a lot lighter

It takes practice, it is like a muscle that needs to be exercised to be stronger.  Once you have worked on it and gotten as close to mastery as you can you will be amazed at the amount of garbage around you that you are able to just let go and move on.  Controlling yourself is similar to forgiving someone (I did an awesome series on forgiveness here)in the fact that it is really freeing when you know you are in control.  

A smile is more impactful to someone that’s bothering you than you getting angry at them

You don’t get weighed down by having to react to every little bit of stimulation that comes at you throughout your day.  You can hear things, smile and move on. It probably frustrates those people that try to get a reaction out of you but that’s their problem and nothing for you to worry about. This skill moves through your life, school, work, relationships, parenting…on and on it goes and the better you get at it the more benefits you will see at controlling yourself and your emotions.  

Save your strong emotions for your close friends, the ones that care and will support you

Keep in mind that I am not saying that there is anything at all wrong with emotions I am simply saying that you can be in  control of your emotions, they should not control you. There is a time and a place and a specific group of people that you should be able to release stronger emotions with and I am betting that does not include random people at school or work, even if you interact with them on a regular basis.  So try it out, work on controlling your emotions and do not let people around you have control over how you react or even how your day is going to go. Unless they have earned the right to be that close to you they should not have any control over you….why give it to them?