Day 113: That temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble someday.-- Widow Tweed

That temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble someday.-- Widow Tweed, The Fox and The Hound

This wise gem comes to us after Amos Slade, Widow Tweed's neighbor, gets extremely mad about his dogs, a pup named Copper and an old hunting dog named Chief, botching a hunt early in the movie. This quote also has a good bit of foreshadowing to it, because Amos is a bit of a hothead.

Has anyone ever said this to you? Perhaps you've said it to someone else.  Choosing to get angry about something never works out for the best. Things get destroyed, feelings get hurt, sometimes both beyond all repair.  Believe you me I know first hand. My temper sometimes gets the best of me, think like a shaken up soda bottle that pops its top, explodes then fizzles down to nothing. Then when I'm calm I realize just how stupid I was when I was mad and apologize to those I've hurt because of things I've said in anger.

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given is: Do not choose to get angry over something. You can choose almost all of your emotions but Love and Sadness, the rest are chosen emotions. It's taken a long time for me to realize what my best friend meant, but turns out she's right, especially about anger, frustration and losing one's temper. Choosing to not get angry or let your temper flare is one of the hardest things to do in life, especially if you're someone who is passionate about things. The best things to do I've found to not choose anger  is to do the grounding technique. I don't remember who first told me or where I read it, but it works when you catch yourself just before exploding. When you feel like you're going to say something you're going to regret or when you feel your blood start to boil, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. While you're doing that look around the room for 5 things to see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and take one large slow breath. By then you should be calm enough to talk rationally without saying something you'll regret. Sometimes, you'll be calm by the 2nd or 3rd task but others it may take longer. There are other ways to not choose anger and it sometimes takes a long time to stop choosing to be angry and let your temper flare by choice. Whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be right for you.  

So until next time, do your best to not let your temper flare and as always Keep Cooking with Character!