Anger is what keeps us from tolerating the intolerable. – William Sloan Coffin
We are taught from an early age that anger is ugly. Especially for women, we’re told it’s inappropriate and unbecoming. But there is a different kind of anger, not petty and spiteful, but grounded in soul justice that lets loose new worlds within us. It shatters old concepts and opens new gateways. This is sacred rage and it acts as a kind of balancing that realigns us when enough is enough and we’re finally over it. It comes when we’ve had enough of being pushed down, ignored, lied to, placated, condescended to, verbally attacked, or emotionally terrorized. This is when anger becomes sacred rage and our greatest ally.
Sacred rage is also a code word for healthy boundaries. At some point, the status quo just doesn’t cut it anymore and we realize we do not have to put up with another’s, or our own, bullshit in order to be considered good. Sacred rage lights a fire in our soul that gives us the strength to stand up for ourselves and to forgive ourselves. We don’t have to scream, yell, and belittle to embody sacred rage, but we do have to honor how we feel and draw a boundary, firmly and finally, with no apologies required. We are not a doormat, or a robot, or an object. Sacred rage comes when we stop letting anyone hold us back or down, and this includes us. Often we can be the biggest culprit when it comes to undervaluing ourselves. Our lack of self respect can make it easy for others to follow suit. When we finally see and honor our true worth we end the cycle of not enough, second guessing, and underestimating.
At first we may be furious we didn’t see our absolute awesomeness earlier or that we were so stingy with ourselves, but this kind of rage has the power to set us free from old thinking and unhealthy ways of being. It’s not an eternal state but a flashpoint, a boiling over, a loud and resounding no or no more. Something clicks inside that says not another minute, not another rationalization or diversion. A limit has been reached and when that limit is hit everything that held it in place also comes undone. Then sacred rage ushers in a new way of doing things. It announces its presence in our hearts as crystalline clarity about the lines that can no longer be crossed.
It also brings with it a bone chilling certainty whether we’re ready for it or not, letting us know what goes and what stays. If we can hold onto that truth we will set ourselves free. It’s how we make it onto the other side of what’s been holding us back, the words finally come when we see our intrinsic value. Sacred rage asks for radical self love and deep honesty. This is a gift that can rock us. It throws us out of our comfort zone and asks us to make a choice about what really matters.
Sacred rage is an essential part of our voice and it needs our attention. It needs to be heard and acknowledged. Then instead of being an emotional outcast it becomes a catalyst that can redirect our lives and let us thrive.
Honor your own sacred rage and listen to the truths it’s telling you.
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