Losing your temper and being impatient create stress because they are unhealthy for you and others. This causes unhappiness and discomfort in both body and mind. Recognizing this harm can inspire change.
When we do something repeatedly, it can be difficult to discontinue the habit.
The dictionary defines a habit as a recurrent, often unconscious behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
Many women have sent their spouses to me because they are fed up with their husbands' lack of tolerance, and wives threaten to divorce over issues of temper.
Some people get so mad over the littlest things, and they act like someone is trying to kill them, or someone is going to die.
Being intense is not who we are. When we were born into this world, we were full of love and trust.
As we experience life, our teachers, parents, and the people around us get frustrated when things don't go their way, and that is where we learn this unhealthy habit.
If you lose your temper and are impatient, you can overcome it, I promise. But you've got to do the work.
The first step is learning that unhappiness is stressful and that controlling your response helps you prosper. Believing in your ability to take responsibility is the start.
In
working with people on stressful habits, I've noticed that those who
succeed realize they alone control their reactions and can change them.
Those who struggle believe that others are to blame and feel powerless
to change.
It
is interesting to me that many so-called intelligent people lose their
temper so easily. When I had my anger issues, although I thought I was
intelligent, I was not. If I were smart, would I not control this
behavior?
I
used to lose my temper and have little patience. Now, if I get even a
little frustrated or angry, I find myself giggling within seconds—it
seems funny to me. I didn’t think that before, but now, knowing what I
know, I find it cute.
The second step is to learn to relax and not take life too seriously. When we lose our temper, we get uptight and tense. We can learn to chill out and not be so grim.
Life can be, and is for many people, full of joy and vitality. Think about it for a moment. Some people, when they lose their temper, act like the world is coming to an end. If the world were coming to an end, then it would be more reasonable to lose it, but it’s not.
If you lose your cool often, spend time every day finding your inner child, innocent and playful. When you begin to lose it, remind yourself you are changing this habit. It may sound simple, but it works and will help. Trust me, only you can change this habit.
You can persuade yourself to chill by saying silly things like, “I love it when they do that,” or, “It is so cute when that happens.” You will think it is so ridiculous, and eventually you will start laughing. Before you even get angry, you'll say, “Elizabeth is right, this works.” This will become really funny. Just remember, practice makes perfect, so keep at it.
Another important step is to ask for help through prayer. When something feels too difficult, ask God for support and trust that He can help.
Practicing faith, patience, and trust will strengthen your progress in overcoming any habit.
In my line of work, whether it was handling 911 emergency calls or responding to our heroes in despair, I have seen enough miracles to know that God is real. When I help people, I am serving the Lord, and He blesses me to witness miracles.
There have been times when I have prayed for miracles, and they have happened, sometimes within seconds.
There have been many times when a still, small voice has whispered a name to me, and I have been inspired to call that person. Sometimes I have not spoken to that individual in months or even years.
Because I obey, I call, and each time I do, the person is right smack dab in the middle of a crisis or a state of despair. That’s guidance from God.
Here comes that arrogance people say I have, but I call it faith. God has given me a gift: to take people from crisis to calm within minutes, sometimes within seconds. Maybe it’s not a gift, but a skill, or both.
I have had the fortunate opportunity to practice and perfect this gift for over 30 years in emergency situations. The point I am trying to make here is that God is real and He loves us. He loves us so much that He will whisper a name.
We can be His representative on earth to heal his son or daughter who is in anguish or hopelessness.
Why am I telling you this? When I suggest you go to God, I want you to know that He is here for us. I know this with all my heart and soul, and I know without a doubt in my mind, heart, and soul that God is so very real.
There have been thousands of people I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to help relieve their severe emotional distress, and I have done it all with God. It’s not me who does it. I’m only an instrument, and this experience has brought me to a deep relationship with our Heavenly Father.
God is real and the reason for life. God is life! You may believe it or not. There's a difference in knowing about God and knowing Him. Deepen your relationship by turning to Him for comfort and strength, and you will know God more and more.
So here’s the deal: if you want to eliminate the habit of losing your temper and getting angry easily, know that it is not okay, and take responsibility for your actions. Learn to relax, search for your inner child, remind yourself, and most importantly, turn to your Heavenly Father for help.
You know, and I know you have the strength to do this, and you are worth it, my friend, because you are so very important to you, your family, your friends, your future, your Heavenly Father, and to me.
I love you!
