The Tranquil Vintessa

We tend to have the misconception that anger is a bad emotion—something we need to control and repress to find peace. In actuality, anger is the umbrella that covers many emotions. Sometimes anger manifests when we are sad, uncomfortable, feeling helpless, embarrassed, or dealing with something else entirely. The key to overcoming anger is to find its root cause. If something triggers your anger, ask yourself why it affected you and how you can prevent it from happening again. Understanding your emotions, especially the negative ones, can guide you to where you are supposed to be headed and why you might not be happy where you are now. Here is how anger helped me on my journey to personal growth and happiness.

This happened back when I lived in Charlotte. I was sitting in my apartment watching a show called Hooked On The Look. It’s about people sharing their extreme styles or body modifications and what they’ve done to achieve their looks. I got into the show during COVID because I loved seeing people be their authentic selves. Plus, I was fascinated by all the extreme plastic surgeries. The episode I was watching featured an influencer and her life. They went through how much she spent on clothes, hair, and everything else, along with her backstory. Later in the show, they featured a montage of her and her friend shopping, and I felt so much rage. I started ranting and raving to no one in particular about how selfish they were for trashing the fitting room, how shallow they seemed, and how they were clearly not happy. On and on I went, growing angrier by the second.

It wasn’t until my higher self stepped in and asked what was really going on that I realized I wasn’t mad at the girl for shopping. She hadn’t made a mess. She was having fun with her friend and enjoying life. So why was I upset? I realized it was because I felt like I could be doing so much more with my own life—and I wasn’t. I was at home watching others live their lives, dress how they wanted, and be who they wanted to be, while I was stuck in the same place with the same mindset I’d had as a teenager. That anger told me it was time for a change. I needed to shake up my life and start living for me instead of just going through the motions.

With that in mind, I created a vision board for the life I wanted to live and the person I wanted to become. I hung it beside my bed so it would be the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing before bed. I worked on making myself feel better, starting with positive affirmations and motivating myself to grow. I began doing yoga to ground myself because it was something I’d always wanted to try. I experimented with my look and dressed eccentrically because I wanted to—no longer afraid to be different. Eventually, that anger led me to move. I wanted a fresh start in a new town where I didn’t know anyone and could just be me without the weight of my past. Within a month or two, I made the move and haven’t looked back since.

Anger can be a scary emotion to deal with, but it’s not all bad. It’s just trying to show you that something is wrong and needs to change. So, feel that emotion. And when you’re ready, analyze what triggered it and why. It might not be as big as my story where you need to move and start over, but it’s just as important to admit that your anger might really be sadness, fear, or helplessness. Work on connecting with yourself and your higher self, and you won’t be led astray.

I hope you found this inspiring. Have any of your powerful emotions ever led to something life-changing? If so, share in the comments. And if you enjoyed this post, please like and share!