anger

I don't know where it originated. I don't know what feeds it. But I do know this: unchecked or unacknowledged or mindless anger is perhaps the most toxic substance known to humankind.

So I'll be brief. Why is it so hard to be kind to the people we love the most? What is up with that? Why is it impossible, when we see red, to stop and really look at what triggered that in us, before lashing out at the nearest target?

I know this: It's a whole lot easier to bite one's tongue than it is to take back hurtful words. And I know that by the time I usually figure out what the personal trigger was, two things have happened. One is that my anger has evaporated and the other is that it would have been terribly misplaced had I opened my damned mouth.

Step back. Take a breath. Survey the scene. Run down your emotional checklist. And before you open your mouth, look at the person upon whom you're about to spew and ask yourself what you hope to gain by inflicting hurt.

Now, was that so hard?