Exit the Maze of Anger
Are you typically a calm and rational person but when a certain politician comes on the TV or radio you lose it and start yelling at the screen? Do you see stars when your kids won't do what you ask them to do (for the millionth time)? Does your blood boil when you're visiting your in-laws?
Anger is a natural emotion that rises up inside us when we think someone has been dishonest, insincere, unfair—or just plain wrong. But being trapped in anger—stuck in an endless conversation about how awful this person is—is a condition we call the “Maze.”
THE MAZE
It’s called the Maze because the more time you spend thinking about the person, the more lost you get. In the meantime, the things that are really important to you don’t get done because you’ve refused to accept life on its own terms. In the end, it’s your peace of mind that’s destroyed.
Once you recognize that you’re in the Maze, there’s never a good reason for staying in it; it only harms you. Rather than continuing to have imaginary arguments in your head (or with the people around you), you can use your anger as a signal to come back into harmony with the universe.
OUTFLOW
The tool of Active Love can help you change your inner reaction. It evokes a higher, spiritual force we call Outflow. Think of Outflow as an infinite force of pure giving. It’s like sunlight—it doesn’t discriminate between the wicked and the good; it simply shines, infinitely, on everyone and everything. Because Outflow refuses to judge anyone or anything, it can free you from the Maze and allow you to return to real life.
This doesn’t mean that you roll over and let this politician or family behave badly without speaking up. It just means he or she won’t take up any more rent space in your head.
In fact, Outflow will make you more effective in the real world. You’re free to speak out, work on behalf of another politician, or run for office yourself. When you’re in Outflow, whatever you choose to do will be more effective because, in essence, you’ve given up needing the world to be fair.
