Those who are angry with their peers, as he was, may look at the results of his revenge and think, "He showed them."
But they'd be mistaken.
Our shooter suffered the same fate as his victims. But where his victims earned the legacy of being brave because they faced a gunman, he earned the legacy of being a coward because he wasn't strong enough to deal with his anger.
If only he had realized that revenge is never as sweet as it claims to be. Natural consequences always kick in.
So what do you do? What do you do when someone has you so angry, you feel like hurting them?
- First, understand that anger is a natural emotion that everyone feels. Don't expect to go through life without people making you angry....it's unrealistic.
- Get help immediately if you feel you are about to do something that would hurt yourself or other people.
- Never push the anger inside and let it build. Find a healthy way to release your negative feelings and adrenaline:
Run or do something physical.
Write the feelings down on a paper and then destroy it. (Don't reread it. Rehashing things in your mind only adds to your anger and makes things worse.)
Talk with someone wiser than you.
- Dwelling on the things that made you angry causes you to miss out on the good things happening now. Try to focus on what's happening now instead of reliving the moments you're upset about.
With a little work, it's possible to control and release your temper in safe, positive ways instead of exploding. The positive change you want to see in your life circumstances often begins within you.