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Why not make joy a habit. I’m not talking about superficial joy from external conditions or circumstances, but rater the joy that is our nature—something we open wide to and wallow in. For example, I awoke this morning to the sound of birds chirping. As I paused and sunk into this moment, allowing the sound to touch me, I was tickled by the song they sang. I then let the cat out and the cool morning air briskly brushed my face, feeling like an invisible lover. As I write this, I feel the pounding of my heart, slow and steady. I’m excited to be pulsating with life and with sharing my joy with you. What joys are you opening to? In what ways are you sharing them? Make joy a habit then share it broadly.

We live in a society where there are many good reasons to be enraged, yet as practitioners of health and healing, we are often uncomfortable in the face of rage-our own and that of others. In our fear we may add to the problem by becoming frustrated, self-righteous, defensive, frozen, or indifferent. In these forms, we are unable to intervene with our clients or ourselves skillfully and may even utilize our power to punish those who express rage, especially if it is directed toward us.

I’ve found in my work with practitioners that the antidote to our discomfort with rage and other intense emotions is in cultivating self awareness, where we nurture a sound mind, moral consciousness, humility, and an ambition that leaves a good legacy. This requires an inner inquiry that becomes the foundation of human service.

By doing our own healing around rage, we recognize the more subtle Disguises of RageTM in our clients-Dominance, Defiance, Devotion, Distraction, Dependence, and Depression. We know from our own experience that when we are in the face of a raging client that rage is not the deepest truth that wants to be told. The deeper truth is more a disguised request to stand in the fire and not be frightened by the wrathful display of raw radiance. Your confident stance allows for a deeper investigation of emotional pain and wise action.

As practitioners and leaders, when we can accept personal rage and tap its wisdom-Discernment, Truth from the Heart, Compassion, Creative Freedom, Originality, and Solitude, we ripen our ability to allow transformation in our client work while also dignifying the humanness of those who are suffering. This I call HUMAN services!

Leave a comment! Consider:

• What happens to you when someone becomes enraged?
• How aware are you of your internalized rage and its impact on the services you provide?
• In what ways do you perpetuate the oppression of rage?
• How does rage affect your personal relationships?

Women have good reason to be enraged yet we tend to be the last ones to acknowledge this vibrant inner resource. Instead, we go through our lives maintaining a good front. We may have all of the trappings—good life, higher education, and material gain, yet we have an inherent discontent with our lives that won’t go away. We manage to look okay from the outside, hiding those periods of despair when we feel everything caving in on us by keeping to ourselves. We express confidence on the surface and feel dread or fear underneath. We know we feel chaotic and on the edge, but we hide it, sometimes beautifully, even from ourselves. This is accomplished by wearing Disguises of Rage™. Continued…