Now listen carefully here for a little bit, because we’re going to say some things that may sound surprising to you, because you’re accustomed to positive speakers (and Abraham would certainly like to be put into that category) of saying to you:
Don’t be angry, be joyful; Don’t be critical, be appreciative; Don’t be sad, be glad.
But today we’re going to say to you:
Don’t be sad, be less sad; Don’t be less sad, be hardly sad; Don’t be hardly sad, be seldom sad; Don’t be seldom sad, be sometimes glad; Don’t be sometimes glad, be often glad; Don’t be often glad, be more often glad; Don’t be more often glad, be mostly glad; Don’t be mostly glad, be glad.
Can you feel the difference?
(Yes)
So, when you are in despair or grief, and someone says, “Keep a stiff upper lip,” just punch them.
(Laughter)
It’ll make you feel better.
(More laughter)
But if you were to keep punching them, you would not feel very good for very long….
In other words, we’re talking about following the path of least resistance.
We notice sometimes that when you are in a very strong negative emotion, that feels overwhelming and suffocating, maybe even like the emotion of grief, that sometimes being mad at someone is a way out, because feeling mad at somebody feels better than the overwhelming, suffocating grief.
Now, many positive speakers would say “Don’t turn your grief to anger!”
And we say, “We would.”
It might be the only avenue you have for a moment.
Just don’t get stuck in anger.
So, if anger feels a little less suffocating than grief, then “long live anger”…No, we don’t mean that - short live anger.
But, bless the anger, bless the distraction, bless the relief that comes.
Abraham-Hicks, Ashland, OR. 7/19/03