“Hold on to your anger and use it as compost for your garden.” —Thich Nhat Hanh, Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames

Some years ago I was feeling incredibly angry and resentful. I felt this way for a couple days. I have learned that when I judge others, it only contributes to anger and resentment. Despite knowing this, I kept judging a particular person. By doing this, I only added more drama to the story I was creating in my mind. I attached myself to ideas of unfairness, rudeness, disrespect, pride, and selfishness. This person was all of these in my story.

I found it strange that something would bother me so much that I would choose to go down this path of misery. “I should know better,” I thought. “I am a counselor.”

"Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot. Seek the path that demands your whole being." - Rumi

So many times in life we look for others to make us happy and we put our happiness in their hands. We may depend on others to do things that we believe will bring us happiness and when they do not we blame them or become angry. This is a recipe for disaster.

In my journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) I have come to understand that I am responsible for meeting my needs and that other people are not.