"The wise takes care of all his small problems,

Thus he has no problems."



The above is so true, and I'll illustrate it with an example.



Mr. Lee wanted to watch TV. His favorite movie was showing. However, his wife wanted him to take her shopping for groceries, so reluctantly he followed.



On the way to the shopping complex, they were caught in a bad traffic congestion, and a trip which normally takes 15 minutes took an hour instead. Being an unwilling shopper, Mr. Lee was getting angrier by the minute and was close to boiling point by the time they reached the shopping complex.



As they entered the car park in the complex, Mr. Lee asked his wife to be on the look out for any empty parking spot as they drive around the compound. Just then, Mrs. Lee's mobile phone ranged and she quickly answered the call and continued to chat with her friend on the phone.



Meanwhile, Mr. Lee spotted an empty parking spot but before he could reach it, another driver quickly reversed into the spot.



That was the last straw for Mr. Lee!



He blew his top!



Before he knew it, he started shouting at the driver, using all kinds of foul languages. When his wife tried to calm him down, he turned towards her and started shouting at her instead, accusing her of talking to her friend on the phone instead of helping him to look for an empty parking lot.



Naturally that outburst spoiled the outing, and they both completed their groceries shopping in hostile silence.



Looking back, we can easily see that Mr. Lee's outburst occurred because of his frustration at missing his movie. The traffic congestion only made his simmering frustration worse, and the parking incident was the last straw.



Thus, a small frustration has turned into an angry outburst!



Often, unacknowledged feelings such as this simmer within us, and they slowly and silently grow into full blown anger or outbursts when we are least able to control them. It is easier to manage minor frustrations before they become big and unmanageable.



Thus, an effective way to manage our emotion is to quickly identify our feelings and acknowledging them when they arise. This also makes it easier for us to recognize the cause or trigger that give rise to the feelings. Of course, this is easier said than done.



To be able to recognize and identify our feelings the moment they arise, we need to practice constant self-awareness. This can be achieved through meditative practice, self-reflection.



Another method is through feedbacks from those around us.



In a moment of anger, we often say things we regret later.

Unfortunately, words once spoken can never be withdrawn. In this way, many good relationships have be scarred, some beyond repair. Thus it is important for us to learn to manage our emotion, particularly our anger.



Hope this proves to be helpful .