“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” —Matthew 5:43

There’s a lot of outrage right now. It is worthwhile asking, where does this get us?

Image by Fibonacci Blue

Let’s begin by looking at the personal level. You’ve had someone express their outrage at you before. How did you respond? Did you immediately see their point of view, and change your ways accordingly? Probably not. Did you get defensive, and double-down on your position? Perhaps. Did you acquiesce to their demands? Maybe. If so, did you harbor any resentment afterwards? Probably. And did you really change your mind about the way you saw things? It’s unlikely.

So, it appears—at least on a personal level—that while outrage may change a behavior, it’s unlikely to change an attitude—except, perhaps, to reinforce it. And if it has this impact on a personal level, it’s fair to hypothesize that it’s probably what happens at scale, as well. In summary: outrage creates division.

But you’re outraged. You can’t control that, right?

Why not? Who’s in charge here? You, or your outrage? If you’re at the mercy of your emotions, that’s powerlessness. And if you’re powerless within, do you really expect your outrage to give you any power without? You’re just screaming into an echo chamber.

To be clear, this is not to say don’t be outraged. Be upset, be angry, be frustrated, feel helpless: experience all these things if they’re present within you. But it is to say, don’t act until you’ve transformed these emotions into a containable energy, until the fog of outrage has condensed into something you can utilize, and your vision has become clearer.

Notice the power of your outrage, how it overwhelms your entire body. This power needs to be tapped and utilized to address the very things that caused the outrage in the first place. Outrage is a catalyst, power is the fuel. This power has always existed within you, and the outrage has exposed it. Good. That’s as far as you need the outrage to take you. Now, become one with that power and make it yours. Do amazing things, knowing this was inside you all along. Outrage can make us crazy, power makes us strong.

Once you’ve harnessed your power, then act.

This practice gives us the tools to embrace our emotions, and to understand ourselves more deeply through resting in them with vigilant curiosity. Each embrace makes our mindscape a little broader, until all experience is invited and included. It’s a mindscape in which outrage can reside alongside peace, and gratitude can sit happily beside sadness. A mindscape in which all of you is welcome.

This is a mindscape that has the power to act effectively and decisively. It’s a quiet space that doesn’t need a soapbox. It’s a forgiving space that represents. A compassionate space that calls people out. It takes no prisoners while holding arms and eyes wide open.

It’s a tool that—combined with your outrage—can change the world.

Harnessing Outrage Practice

Settle in to an upright, comfortable posture
Take a couple of deep breaths to settle in
Begin breathing from your belly, allowing your attention to be drawn to it
Once you’ve settled in to your breathing, allow yourself to experience your outrage
All of it
Notice where you feel it, how it manifests, what images it conjures up
Breathe into it
Recall a caring moment, in which you felt held and loved
Experience this moment as if it were happening now
Embrace the feelings this produces
Shower the parts of you experiencing the outrage with these feelings
Do so without expectation, allowing what happens to happen
And what doesn’t happen to not happen
Reside in this experience
Embody this experience
Feel the power
Breathe.