Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness

A mentor of mine gifted me this book, after I confided to him that I struggle with anger and frustration. Specifically, whenever I’m overseas, I struggle with road-rage. My fuse also shortens dramatically when people ignore me when I’m trying to communicate. When I saw this book and its title, I was very excited to read it and and see how it might help me.

Not an Easy Read

I’ve had the book for almost two years now. It’s been sitting on my “currently reading” shelf all that time. I’ve picked it up I don’t know how many times, yet I simply cannot get into it. I don’t know if it’s the writing style or the jargon or what, but I’ve made it only through eight chapters (page 103), and I’m finally saying “enough is enough.” Ironically, the final sentences of Chapter 8’s “Making It Your Own” section says this: “The chapter ended on a high note. You might want to put the book down for a bit and let what you’ve just read sink in.” Note to writers: Never invite your readers to put your book down, because they very well might, never to pick it up again!

I anticipated working through the “Making It Your Own” sections of this book, but the questions felt like a counseling session that someone’s forcing me attend, like Anger Management, instead of something devotional that helps me communicate better with God. I get it, homework and list-making and vocalization of problems are all necessary, but that’s what my accountability sessions are for. Whatever this book hopes to offer in terms of dealing with anger, I just never got it. I’m glad to put it down and not have it hanging over my head anymore.

Finding Success Elsewhere

Truth be told, my anger has subsided a great deal over the past two years, not because of this book, but because of four other very important factors.

1) I pray regularly for right responses, not merely for patience. Someone once said that the worst thing you can pray for is patience, because the only way to learn patience is to suffer through experiences that need patience! I totally agree.

2) I have pursued accountability relationships and divulged my struggles. Knowing that people outside my family’s house- and car-doors are going to find out my responses to events keeps me far more aware of those responses.

3) To curb my road rage overseas, I adopted the “if you can’t beat them, join them” philosophy. Now that I drive like an uneducated, selfish convict, I can get along with everyone else just like me!

4) I made changes in my life that reduced stressful situations. One perfect example is that I recently left a management position where I’d been regularly taking the blame for the failures of my superiors. That professional shift has lifted so many weights from shoulders, I really wasn’t aware of all that I’d been carrying.

Conclusion

My life recently has been peaceful compared to what it was two years ago, and I thank the advice of my mentors for the shifts. Sadly, though, I can’t really thank this book.

In reviewing all that I’d read already, I can’t really find anything that has stuck with me and helped me change. Perhaps all that good, life-changing information follows Chapter Eight, but after two years of trying, I’m just not committed enough to find out.

©2018 E.T.