Our anger can be kept alive indefinitely. An incident in which we felt wronged from 20 years ago can send us spiraling into a heated rage within just seconds of thinking about it. Thus, our anger is just a thought away. We’ve all experienced this before. And the more that we recall particular incidents that anger us, the stronger that these neural pathways become. Thus, a robust connection to a rage response is created by using the same neural pathways over and over again.
On the positive side, relief from such anger is also a thought away. The chemicals that course within our veins from a rage reaction are cleansed from our system in about 90 seconds – if we shift our focus onto something else. So, if you can learn to quickly identify the feelings of anger within your body, you can make a conscious decision to shift your focus to something else. If you do this, that rage response will dissipate quickly…and you can gain a sense of peace. Also, with the greater control you acquire over your emotional responses, you will also gain a new sense of freedom because you will no longer be the victim of your own mind. You are in the driver’s seat.