Hello 1,100+ friends, it’s Michael here!

Thanks for checking out this issue of the WISER Newsletter!

Let’s get WISER together!

😡 When Anger Gets the Best of You 💢

I am a man of few regrets, but I do regret almost every time that I have let my emotions get the best of me; especially anger.

I don’t find myself getting angry often. In fact, I’d say that this current season of life is filled with happiness, so there’s little space for anger.

But I’ve not always been like this. As a teenager I went to the doctors’ to see if they could help me with what I thought was a developing anger problem.

I know some of you are dying to see it, so here it is: click here to see me as an angry teenager…

So what has changed?

Well, my mindset changed.

Before I share a life-changing tip to help you overcome anger, I wanted to share a visual that I posted recently on this very topic:

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is a phenomenal quote, right? I’m conscious that it’s a simplified, pithy representation of something as complex as human emotions, but there is value in this sentiment.

My understanding is that you can’t necessarily control your initial emotion when experiencing something, but you can have a say with how you deal with that emotion.

So when you experience someone who cuts you off on the highway, it’s understandable that you experience a slice of frustration. It’s prompted by injustice, right? But leaning out of the car window to exclaim an expletive is you giving into that anger.

In that example, the anger took away your dignity or your ability to be respectful; to not stoop to someone else’s level.

But what can I do about it, Michael?

I’m glad you asked! (I’m conscious that I’m writing this to myself…)

⏩ Fast-Forward Your Emotions! 😊

Bear with me on this one because I’m going to have to paint you a word-picture.

I love walking.

I’ll regularly go for a walks on our local estate to get some fresh air, some exercise, spend some time in nature and ultimately to have an enjoyable time.

One thing that would regularly impact my enjoyment on my walks was when other people were walking, but weren’t considerate of other people using the path.

Imagine you’re walking on a narrow path that is big enough for 2 people to walk past one another. This path is fine, and serves it’s purpose.

But what happens when the other party is walking with their friend? The path isn’t wide enough for 3 people!

Well surely one of the couple should go behind the other, right? That’d be the polite thing; to save no one having to step off of the path and into the mud or the road. Obviously everyone would choose to be courteous like that…

If only! This was one of my biggest pet-peeves because I would always be the one that stepped into the mud!

It use to anger me so much! I would spend the rest of my walk cursing under my breath: “How could they? Do people not have manners anymore? Could they be anymore selfish?”

That’s where fast-forwarding your emotions comes in!

When that scenario happens I am frustrated. The next 20 minutes whilst I’m finishing my walk, I’m still a bit annoyed about it. But in an hour, I’ve forgotten about the whole ordeal.

If I know that I won’t care about stepping in the mud in an hour’s time, then I’ll just not care about it immediately.

So the fast-forward mindset is all about jumping to that time where I’ve forgotten about the thing that has annoyed me, and embracing the freedom that comes with letting go.

Granted, this isn’t applicable to every time that I experience anger as many instances require further action to assist with this, but you’d be surprised how often I implement this framework.

I think the act of fast-forwarding my emotions is one of the key reasons that I live a happier life. I’m choosing to look past the injustices that I experience (especially the minor, trivial ones) and spend my time relishing the liberating feeling of happiness.

❓ What Are Your Thoughts on Fast-Forwarding Your Emotions?

• What is a pet-peeve that usually gets you fired up?

• Do you think that you could benefit from implementing this practice to help let go of that anger?

• Can you think of a time when you were angry where this mindset would not work? Why wouldn’t it work?

• Can we apply this mindset to other negative emotions?

• Do you disagree with this framework altogether?

✍️ Consider journalling through the above questions yourself.

💬 Also, if you want to chat about this, email or DM us! We’d love to hear from you!

Recommendations

1️⃣  I recently finished reading Brad Stulburg’s The Practice of Groundedness.

From the best-selling author of author of Peak Performance comes an empowering book that takes a different approach to the hustle-culture narrative that we see so much online.

I enjoyed this book so much that I even started DMing him about it on Instagram.

But don’t just take my word for it! Ryan Holiday (another great author) describes it as “getting to the heart of the matter.”

If you’d like to hear more about how you can get a better balance in life and be more present, pick up your own copy here:

2️⃣ This second recommendation is unlike my usual ones.

As a very keen journaller, I love using a great pen to get the job done. A Fisher Space Pen is my pen of choice!

They were originally designed to be used in space; they’re literally out of this world!

They can work upside-down, underwater and feel delightful to scribble with.

But most importantly? They’re extra compact! No more having to find a pen, because you can shove this into even the smallest of pockets. You’ll always have the tools to journal with you!

If you want to grab yourself your own, find yours here:

* Please note that these may be affiliation links. Purchasing through these links could support Wisdom Made Easy encourage more people to get wiser..

✍️ What We’re Working On

If you didn’t read last week’s newsletter, you’re going to want to go back and check it out! You can find it here:

In it, I shared that “I” has become “we” as my friend Zac has joined Wisdom Made Easy! We’re officially business partners!

We’ve been working really hard to figure out how we can best encourage you to get wiser in 2023, and we cannot wait to show you in the next few weeks and months!

You won’t have to wait long because we have some exciting announcements coming soon, but before then, I’d love to introduce you to Zac!

Next Saturday 18th February 2023 will be Zac’s first newsletter! Make sure you come back at the same time next week to ensure you don’t miss it!

Speaking of this newsletter, do you enjoy it? If so, please share it with someone! Forward this to a friend, or share it on social media!

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😊 Thank You!

Thanks for checking out this issue of the WISER Newsletter. If you have any feedback, I’d love to hear it!

Simply reply to this email, and I’ll get back to you.

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Catch you in the next issue!

Thanks,

Michael