A better use of our energy

I often find myself, after glancing at the headlines, becoming very angry about something or someone. I find myself stewing about it, composing devastatingly brilliant and destructive letters in my head. Which makes me angrier. The energy builds and builds and, because I have the good sense eventually not to write or send any of those letters, I am the only one who gets burned by the fire. The sad thing is, that fire can smoulder for days and sparks fly out to burn me at unexpected moments. Thus it spoils times of joy and refreshment that might have renewed me.

But I don't have to burn myself up. I can at least try to turn that energy towards things and people I love, things and people I value, things and people I enjoy. Perhaps if I work to make the world a better and safer place for those I love instead of trying to make it a miserable place for those I dislike, we would all be better off.

So much human energy, on the individual and communal level, seems to burn itself up in anger, denunciation and hate. There must be a better way.