119 - Understanding and Using Anger Well

Click here to read the episode highlights.    The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at [email protected]. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at [email protected].    Be sure to subscribe to Dr Chip Dodd’s new Substack. He will be sharing two to three articles a week. The topics focus on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership. Dr. Dodd shares content two to three times a week. To subscribe, use the link above or go to chipdodd.com.   Anger is discussed in depth in The Voice of the Heart by Chip Dodd The following are ideas that relate to the chapter on Anger.   Rage versus anger When discussing anger, we have to start with what it isn’t because we have been misled to confuse anger and rage: Rage is what a person does to avoid vulnerability. It is always rooted in fear of helplessness. Anger is what a person has when they are willing to be vulnerable.  Anger really is the feeling that expresses our willingness to be hurt because something or someone matters to us.    Synonyms that relate to the experience of anger are yearning, longing, hoping, wanting, hungering, thirsting, and desiring. All of these words are vulnerable experiences that require courage to reveal.   The gift that comes from anger is passion that leads to a willingness to be in pain/care for something or someone that matters more than pain or discomfort.   To “find” or discover your anger, it helps to ask yourself these questions: What do I hunger for? What do I desire that I am willing to be in pain about? What do I see that needs to be improved, changed, or grown and will require me to risk and “sweat”? What matters to me enough that I am willing to speak up about or show up in to help make a positive difference? What do I imagine could be that I am willing to invest in?   Anger and hope When a person “finds” their anger, they are also facing their hope for something to be fulfilled that has not yet happened.    Anger helps us deal with the fears of failure because the risk is worth the pain.    Anger is invaluable if we are going to risk taking action related to hope.   Click here to continue reading the episode highlights.