The Fence
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said …
“You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one …
“You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there. Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.”
Author Unknown
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What a fantastic story and lesson!
How many times in your life have you said something in anger wishing you could take it back?
Anger can be a deadly weapon. It can do so much harm – both to yourself and to those around you.
Just as the little boy in the story above learned how to control his anger – YOU TOO can learn to control yours.
Life can be very difficult and it’s not reasonable to expect that you will live in the state of harmony and bliss for the rest of your life. The reality is that in the daily push and pull of your life there are many sources of conflict and anger.
Most people have had lifelong beliefs that conflict and anger are “bad” and should be avoided at all costs. In “How to Handle Conflict and Manage Anger” by Denis Waitley he shows you how to handle conflict and anger productively and to be able to take advantage of the opportunities provided.
The important thing is to not let your anger get the best of you. When that unpleasant feeling starts building up inside of you the best thing to do is to close your eyes, take 3 deep breaths, and think of 5 things that make you very happy …. Could be your spouse, children, grandchildren, a vacation, your house, soaking in the tub, your car, fishing, getting a massage etc…
Your mind can not hold joy and anger at the same time. This gives you a moment to think clearly about the situation and to make better choices.
Start controlling your temper today and live a happier fuller life 
