“Whip It Good” is part of a verse from the song “Whip It”, by the ‘70’s, & ’80's Rock group Devo. While watching the Sunday football game between the Bills and Jags, I noticed, “Stop Hate”, on the back of the Bills helmets, and thought of this song.
I wasn’t thinking in the sense of the Jags whipping the Bills, or the Bills whipping the Jags, I was thinking how, “Whip It’, could also be “Flip It”, when it comes to anger, and hate.
During the winter months, the sun flows freely through my South facing bay windows, and I enjoy working jigsaw puzzles while watching football games. This spot also happens to be very popular with my cats and ferrets for basking in the sun’s warm rays, or watching the birds at the bird feeders. Because we all want to be in the same place at the same time, I worked out an easy solution.
I began using the bottom tray from a large dog kennel to work on the puzzles. This gives me mobility to take the puzzle outside to the patio, or picnic table, along with making it easier to store in a safe place. But occasionally, I get a puzzle that won’t fit on the tray, and I then need the surface of the card table.
This new puzzle is just that, too big for the tray. After watching the football game Sunday, I placed the tray over the puzzle to protect it while I checked on the laundry. But I had failed to anchor the tray, and upon returning, I noticed the tray dislodged and some of the puzzle was broken up. Normally this would upset me, but I thought about, “Flip It”, and the moment I did, the anger I felt welling up inside me subsided.
I could feel the anger becoming less prominent in my body. My muscles began to relax, the tension in my face faded, I no longer had angry thoughts, and I saw my mistake in the equation, by not seeing the whole picture previously.
I know the cats run up and down and all around, they even plop in the middle of the puzzle while I’m working it, so why didn’t I see the whole picture before the debacle? Because my mind was not on what I was doing in the moment. Similar to a football player not completing a pass because he is already looking down field.
I covered the puzzle with the tray, and walked away, so the blame goes to me, not the cats. Am I going to be angry with me over it? No. I remember reading all anger is anger directed at self, so I looked within for the answers. I saw what I had done, I learned from what I had done, and I’ve moved on. The puzzle is now covered with a board, hopefully too heavy for them to move.
The more “Flip It” for good I can do, the better. Seeing the whole picture, evaluating what could happen, not projecting what may happen. Those are two totally different things. Projection is ego, evaluating is examining with intelligence and experience.
The experience I just laid out is basic, and simple, but can be applied to any life situation, especially when anger is involved. Seeing the flip side of life’s coin, the silver lining if you will, turning the cheek, looking at your participation, laughing at your participation, and anticipating steps that could have been taken, are all simple tools to help control anger, and “Flip It” around.
Whatever "Flipping It" takes for each individual to control anger, or hate, within themselves first, is a good place to start to allow goodness to prevail. The only person we have control over is ourselves.
This is a link to Mayo Clinic, and 10 of their recommendations for helping to control anger.
Carpe Diem!!!