He was the victim of his own rage…
—Paule Marshall—
Our negative behavior always turns on us. So does our positive behavior. Obviously, it’s better to have joy and peace rebound on us than violence. Then why don’t we consistently act peaceful and joyous?
It probably takes an idiot or a saint to be consistently positive in this world of cynicism, cruelty and corruption. However we may try to free ourselves of preoccupation with things beyond our control, we all find ourselves reacting to certain events with rage, envy, fear, or other painful, destructive emotions. But knowing we have a choice can free us from bondage to this pain.
We can choose to respond rage-fully or enviously– or we can choose to feel the feeling and control our behavior. Successful living involves learning to control how we behave; if we hide or deny our feelings, they’re with us forever. And it’s only by letting them go that we can be truly free. And it’s only by experiencing them that we can let them go.
I can only Spread joy if I stop being a victim of my own despair.