CONQUER YOURSELF
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT AND MANAGING EMOTIONS
In order to live a fulfilling life , you need to be aware of what it is that makes you happy . As long as you are honest with yourself , you can dramatically improve your circumstances . An important question to ask yourself is whether you are headed in the direction you want to go . You may find yourself pressurised into situations you don ’ t want to be in , or you may be having difficulty accepting your own flaws . When this happens , feelings of resentment and frustration enter your subconscious . As a result , you feel unhappy with yourself and those around you , which may manifest in heightened anxiety or outbursts of emotions .
The real problem occurs when you victimise others and misplace the blame for you being unhappy with your own self . By doing so , you are only harming yourself .
Anger is a natural human emotion and sometimes we have a valid reason to express our anger . However , some people are so on edge that any offensive word will set them off . If you can relate to this , these emotions of anger could be because you are unhappy with yourself . It is often said in intellectual circles that anger is simply a mask that hides your underlying fears .
• If you suffer from emotional outbursts of anger : Address what exactly is making you angry . Focus on how you can change that so you can steer your life in the direction you want . Remember that your feelings of frustration are the result of either you not planning your life according to your desires , or it is an indication that you have adopted a negative attitude .
• If your loved one suffers from emotional outbursts of anger : Support them . Talk to them and help them find a solution to any relevant problems .
• When someone is expressing anger : It is a good idea to remain silent in the moment rather than reply in anger ; this will only escalate into an argument . It is possible the person will realise later that they overreacted .
The idea that anger must be mastered is shared by most religions , including Christianity ,
Islam , Buddhism and Sikhism . The Bible warns , ‘ Stop being angry ! Turn from your rage ! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm .’ [ PSALMS 37:8 ]
Prophet Mohammad declared , ‘ A strong man is not the one who wrestles others . Rather , strong is one who controls himself at times of anger .’ [ SAHIH MUSLIM ]
Buddha stated , ‘ A man conquered by anger is in a mass of darkness .’ [ KODHANA SUTTA : AN ANGRY PERSON ]
Guru Nanak said , ‘ Violence , attachment , greed and anger are like four rivers of fire . Falling into them , one is burned , O Nanak ! One is saved only by holding tight to good deeds .’ [ GURBANI , PAGE 147 ]
His Divine Eminence Gohar Shahi warns , ‘ Anger is self-destructive . When you are angry , you harm others - but you hurt yourself more . Rid yourself of your anger , not for the sake of others , but for yourself .’
Another symptom of an unhappy subconscious mind , similar to emotional outbursts , is mood swings .
Your mood is all about your feelings and it can be controlled . Your mood shifts from one set of beliefs to another because of uncertainty in your mind . Uncertainty about what you are doing causes you to be susceptible to feelings of negativity when hurdles inevitably come in the way .
12 MESSIAH HERALD / ISSUE 02 / MAR 2017