True North
The concept of “true north” as a philosophical phrase comes from Bill George, who wrote about it through the lens of professional development. It’s not limited to our careers, though. Just like a compass follows magnetism to point north, “true north” in this sense represents what we’re pulled to. We act as the compass itself, and our values, passions, and purpose are the magnetism. Living in alignment with true north makes us feel more fulfilled, resilient, and capable in life.
Though seemingly counterproductive, anger is a tool that can help us align with true north. Negative emotions can tell us just as much about ourselves as positive ones, if we dare to listen.
Anger and it’s Opposites
Anger often arises when our inner compass starts sounding alarms at us. Those alarms are signaling that something happening is out of alignment with us. Typically, pain is a main underlying force of anger. Violation of our true north morals can be painful. Given that this is personal and subjective, we need to understand the perspective we operate in.
For example, we might become angry when:
- We see someone treated unfairly
- Someone’s creative work is passed off as another’s
- A person in need is turned away
- We hear about wrongful imprisonment
These common (and justified) reasons for anger can give us insight about ourselves. These examples highlight the “lack” of our positive alignment. We can think of it like an axis. If we follow the axis from what angers us, the opposite end is where our alignment is.
To break down each example, we can find some possible core values:
- Justice, equality, fairness
- Honesty, integrity, creativity
- Compassion, charity, empathy
- Freedom, justice, truth
When we analyze our triggers and find their opposites, what we truly align with becomes clearer.
Reflecting on Personal Anger
When anger stems from a personal place, it’s not easy to get into a reflective, objective mindset. It’s daunting to try to understand our emotions, communicate effectively, and take positive action while feeling personally attacked. It’s helpful to step away if possible, then feel the negative emotion, process and reflect.
To get to the bottom of what our inner self is telling us, we could ask:
Why is the situation causing this reaction?
What specifically is making me angry?
What’s the opposite of that?
What am I lacking or needing in this situation?
Is this anger stemming from this situation or something else?
Justified anger shows us what isn’t in harmony with ourselves and our values. But if you find that the root of your anger lies elsewhere, remember that we’re human and misplaced anger can happen. Misplaced anger can come from emotional suppression, avoidance, even simply ignoring our inner voices for far too long. Unfortunately, inner alarms grow louder and louder, and become harder to contain.
I’ve dealt with misplaced anger, and luckily I was able to learn and grow from it. There have been times when an innocent person’s actions were a bit too similar to a source of personal trauma. Processing and understanding my internal reaction was hard at first, but it helped me find my anger’s source. I was angry at the abuse and trauma, not the innocent person’s who resembled my abuser.
Understanding it helped me make amends, plus it showed me an area that needed healing. After getting to the root of the anger, I found the pain. And with that, I found the soul needs from the original trauma. I aligned with and needed: freedom, respect, safety, and love.
Processing and Anger Alchemy
There are several methods to help process and understand anger. Meditation and mindfulness practices help calm not only intense negative emotion, but also our spirit. Some of my favorite ways to process anger are through shadow work journaling and quiet reflection. There will be anger-related shadow work prompts at the end to reflect on.
After understanding, the next step is in how we channel and transmute the anger into fuel for action. Anger is like fire under our feet, sparking us to create change and pushing us to see it through. It can show us needed boundaries and where to draw the line with others. It exposes the roots of problems and encourages us to change those structures.
My favorite aspect of anger, though, is that it shows us who we are and what we care about in a metaphorical photo negative.
We Point Ourselves True North
Our most uncomfortable emotions can show us the most whole picture of ourselves. All we have to do is we resist the urges to explode or turn away, and take a deeper look instead.
By recognizing and analyzing what’s “going south,” our true north becomes clear and obvious. Anger doesn’t have to be a scary monster to lock away in the internal basement of ourselves. It can be one of the best tools for self-discovery and growth. Through the negatives we reject, we see the positives our soul aligns with.
We point ourselves true north.
Shadow Work Anger Reflection Prompts
- Do you allow yourself to feel your emotions when they arise?
- When have you been deeply angered? What within the situation went against your inner values? What does it say about you?
- Identify an anger trigger. Why does it make you angry? How can you communicate that to others in a healthy way?
- When have you been quick to react out of anger? How did you feel after your reaction? Can you think of a better way to confront similar situations moving forward?
- How can you be more understanding of yourself?
- What needs could be underneath the anger? What seems to be lacking?
- How can you channel your anger in a constructive and positive way?