Anger is a Stone
There once was a young man who spent his days dragging a massive stone up the steepest mountain in the village. The metal chain cut into his hands, sending his blood to trail behind his footsteps in the mud. With every step, he cursed the people, the village, the world, and didn’t bother looking up from the wretched path he trekked. The days and nights passed, and untold years passed him by as well. Until, sensing his proximity to the top, he came upon an old man with a white beard (much like his own now) who wore tattered clothes and a tranquil smile.
He asked the angry old man what he was doing, and he responded, “I’m going to kill everyone in the village by rolling this stone into their lives. They’ve insulted me, hated me, ignored me, and shamed me for being who I am, so I shall make them atone.”
The tranquil recluse thought for a moment, then looked out from the ridge. “Have you not seen the beauty of this world from the top of the summit before?”
“Never. I’ve only kept my eyes on the path.”
“Ah. Then take a moment, release your chains, and join me at the top.” The recluse reached out a scarred hand, and the angry old man took it with trepidation.
The two looked out upon the world from the height of the peak, and the angry old man immediately was calmed by the beauty below. He reached up with his bleeding hands, and clutched his face. “Such beauty, in this world, I have missed.”
The recluse smiled, “But you haven’t missed it all. Leave me your stone, free yourself of the metal chains, and return to the village below. Remember this beauty, and if you come upon any other angry souls, tell them of what you’ve seen.”
Overjoyed, the angry old man began to leave before he turned to ask, “What of you? You’ll stay here?”
“I don’t mind the view and occasionally good company shows up to remind me of why I stayed.” He smiled and winked at the now calm, peaceful old man. The calm old man turned and made his way down the hill, until nearly at the base, he came upon an angry young man who gripped metal chains wrapped around a stone.
“What do you plan on doing with that stone?” Asked the peaceful old man.
“Shut up, old fool. I have no time to listen, there is justice to be dealt.”
“Ah.” Nodded the old man. “What is worth more? The time you spend dragging your hate around, or the beauty to be had at the top of the summit?” The young man dropped his chains and eyed the old man before glancing up at the top. The old man added, “Its much easier to get to the top without all that hate.”
Anger is a stone.
All emotions are temporary, mere passing states of existence across our conscious mind, and if we attempt to hold onto any of them after they’ve decided to exit, immediately we begin to feel lost. If we try to hold onto happiness, calm, joy, or anger, we are in direct conflict with the very emotions that help us experience the world around us. A subtle, self-inflicted battle for control begins to unfold, and we look to deny our state of emotions for a myriad of reasons that are also constantly changing in life. In a matter of moments, one can go from feeling sad, to lost, joyous to lost, angry to lost, and so on.
We all experience anger. It’s entirely normal. An integral part of our experience as human beings in this life, is to feel the rush and swell of heat that accommodates such a powerful emotion. Like most things that occur in nature, it is called for when needed, and exits when it is done. Yet, so many times, we cling to anger when it tries to leave us. It sounds strange to think anyone would proactively grip onto their anger and refuse to let it go, but it happens all the time. Every moment we choose to stay angry, is a moment we could have been experiencing life without the guise of control.
There are deeper causes that may happen to us, that require years of conversation, exploration, and the kind of healing that may last a lifetime to assuage the pains and trauma of unfortunate events; and there are moments from this morning where you stubbed your toe on the bed post, got stuck in traffic, had your proposal shut down at work, your spouse may have snapped at you, and yet, you’re still angry. In these moments, the small moments, (some may argue the most important ones in life), remind yourself, Anger is a Stone. You can chose to drag it behind you for the day, a month, even the rest of your life, but eventually, you’ll have to let it go. It’s so much easier to live without the past weighing us down.