Anger.

Anger is a funny emotion. Up until recently, I never really knew what anger felt like. To be so angry that you couldn't see straight. I knew what anger felt like, I just never really knew how I, as an individual, dealt with it. 

I dealt with it in ways I didn't particularly like. I would yell, I would ignore the situation and the people involved, I would become a totally different, ugly person. 

I didn't like that person. 

So I reconsidered how I dealt with my anger. Instead of choosing to take my anger out on those who caused it, I instead, let the issue simmer. I took the time to think about why I was angry, and how it could be fixed or resolved. 

I communicated this to the person who had angered me in the calmest way I could, and I explained that I would need some time to let the anger work it's way through me. Anger, for me, always goes away. I have learned to forgive people. I have learned to let things go. Grudges are not worth the time or the effort to me, I'd much rather make nice with someone and move forward rather than wallow in the past. 

The key to managing anger, for me anyways, is taking the time to level my head. If I can give myself the time I need to deal with the anger, sort through my emotions and really understand why I feel that way, I know I can approach the situation in a fair, proactive way. 

By keeping a level head, I understand myself and my feelings, I express myself clearly, and the anger that at one point made my blood boil, leaves me and allows me to return to my normal calm, cool, and collected self.