Storm is a Brewing
He who angers you conquers you. -Elizabeth Kenny-
Sailors of old not having the access to modern-day technology had this uncanny way of predicting the coming on of storms simply by monitoring the natural signs of nature and weather, along with the elements. Their seasoned knowledge and wisdom had them keenly observing cloud formations, direction of the wind and the change in watercolor. Patterns were observed and intuition trusted for the signs and patterns that were documented daily. We need to become like the sailors of old, able to identify when our internal weather pattern is to change.
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Emotions, like the weather, can change quickly, a violent thunderstorm, dark, threatening clouds, strong winds that quickly develop. At times you see it approaching building and gathering momentum and at other times it is simply upon you, right on top of you! Oh, but there are always signs. Anger, fear, anxiety, angst and worry can be suppressed and buried deep within your soul, surfacing, causing stress. It is a small internal voice that is fanning the fuel and getting you to react.
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.”
Sailors had key signs, indicators and warnings that storms were a brewing including a heightened emotional intelligence. Aristotle, as only he could say: “Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.”
The ability to create the emotional intelligence to recognize this puts you in charge. You react or you choose not to, Julia Cameron remarked, “Anger points the direction. Now it is up to us to recognize, take the necessary action to address this toxic passion, we are not to be held hostage by it.” The ability to control your emotions is having charge over yourself, Cameron goes on to say that “anger is meant to be acted upon. It is not meant to be acted out.”
It takes considerable effort and time along with a determination to start to see the tell-tale signs of oncoming emotional storms drifting your way. Become like an old salt and the wise mariner who can sense, feel and, yes, see the storm a brewing.
