Sometimes You Must Get Mad - Day 91 of 365 Days to a Better You

Sometimes you just have to get mad.

Anger, if you live there for too long, is a destructive force. It often leads to hatred and violence. That's why, with good reason, it's often viewed as a negative emotion.When you feel powerless, sadness, depression, and other weakening emotions can take hold. You begin to feel as if events are controlling you rather than you driving your life toward your goals and objectives. You can become easily manipulated or controlled because you feel too disempowered to fight back.This is a situation where controlled anger can be used to great effect. Sometimes mad is the best escape from sad. You don't want to move into the "mad neighborhood" and live there because then you become a bitter person. However, a little anger is the energy you need get up off the mat, fight for what's right, and put yourself back in the drivers' seat. You don't have to direct your anger at the world or other people, but you can let that slow burn energize you inside. It's that determination to prove them wrong in doubting or diminishing you.There's a great scene from the 1976 movie Network. Character Howard Beale - a news anchor - goes on a rant. Included is his famous phrase, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore."Now, I'm not recommending to you, unless the situation really calls for it, that you run around screaming a rant like this. Think of Howard Beale as a temporary inner voice to encourage you not to allow the circumstances or the people causing you angst to get you down or keep you down.Let this be your inner rant and then burn it off and turn it into productive action in your life and in the world. His issues may not be your issues. It's OK. Replace his issues with your own.[embed width="123" height="456"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMVMbmQBug[/embed]You don't have to stay stuck in sad. You don't have to live your life always mad. That said, a little temporary, rightly-directed anger is just the ticket for putting yourself back in the captain's chair of your situation.RayThank you so much for reading this blog. I'd LOVE to hear your comments below. Have you ever had to get mad to take your power back? Please comment below.