There is a new song you might have heard by Kirk Franklin called, “Wanna Be Happy?” Like many of Kirk Franklin’s songs, this song is timely. This simple phrase is stated in a question with a little bit of uncertainty as something that might be achieved. It almost asks the question, “Can I just be happy?” The answer is – yes! Happiness can be achieved, but it is all up to you. In other words, happiness is a choice just as anger, resentment and bitterness are choices. If you choose to sit and wallow in anger, resentment and bitterness, did you know that can work against you physically, mentally and spiritually?
From the physical perspective, your cells operate based upon electronic and chemical signals and the way the cells normally operate can be interrupted based on your decision to be happy or angry. I was reading some articles about this, and they were fascinating. The mind is very powerful and can cause your body a lot of unnecessary turmoil if you are holding onto negative feelings.
In one of the articles I read, the author states, “The feeling of resentment or anger, or any form of stress, sends many signals to the cells telling them to shut down and get ready to fight, and if we maintain such feelings for a long period of time, the cells will literally act as if that’s their only job and stop doing the other kinds of things they would normally do.” This is very dangerous because what we don’t want to do is have our body reacting in a way that is counterproductive to our growth and development.
Happiness sends out “happy hormones” and being angry causes internal turmoil and stress causing the hormone cortisol to be released, which is responsible for belly fat and problems that can start as a result of belly fat. Problems such as “…cancer, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, insomnia, irritable bowel disease, certain digestive disturbances,” can occur as a result of harboring anger and resentment.
No one has to sit and wallow in anger, frustration, resentment, grudges and unhappiness – again, that is a CHOICE. Life is too short to spend it stewing in negativity. It is okay to get angry or have an angry moment, but it will become a problem when you replay the angry moment over and over again in your mind. This can cause early onset diseases to occur (as mentioned above), and anger for long periods of time can cause mental disturbances and depression too.
What we must all come to understand is, we can control our anger based on our reaction to situations. Misunderstandings occur when people do not fully understand what is being said during conversation. Take a breather and listen carefully when you’re conversing as it will cut down tremendously on angry moments. Also, if something makes you upset, take a moment to breathe. Once you have calmed down, then discuss the problem in a very calm conversation to gain a better understanding of what was actually said.
After the conversation is discussed and you still have fleeting moments of anger, forgive the person and LET IT GO! Don’t do harm to yourself; it’s not worth it. If you find that you are spiraling out of control and cannot see your way out of the anger, pray about it. Prayer always works. I read a quote that said, “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” ― Gautama Buddha. Anger does more harm to you than it does the other person – LET IT GO!
Live, laugh, love, and pray.
God Bless You with Good Health and Wellness,
Antoinette
Antoinette Shar’ron Johnson
“Empowering, inspiring, motivating, and uplifting your mind, body, and soul!”