As a person with a notorious temper when I was younger, age and consequences have slowed it down considerably. I have gained the ability to slow down, problem solving replaced most of my primal urge to lash out. Mostly…

I still had a general rage simmering under the surface. Ready for a trigger, but recently I experienced the same triggers and nothing. The rage was gone. Did I lose it? It began a period of introspection, what happened? Probably lasted a month or more. Then a snap back to action. Forget the extended question now as a non-question?

No… Now it’s a bigger question. After much thought and soul searching the answer was clear. Frustration and optimism. These two products are responsible for the rage and lack of rage. I was trained in my childhood to snap. My problem solving tool was a hammer. If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem is a nail. Fueled by a constant diet of frustration and poor optimism kept me mad, at war with the world and everyone in it. Then age, a general optimism for the future. Lowered frustration level was the X factor. Then the world returned to the accepted normal and snap. Optimism isn’t the key element, feeling good or feeling happy is really just a moment. Satisfaction and its polar opposite frustration is the arena to focus on. Action is the frustration antidote. Is your boat sinking? Stop it. Dreaming of a day that it floats or watching how to videos will do nothing. Try bailing, not working try something else. Dealing with the problem with actions is the only way to solve it. The byproduct of working to your own solution is satisfaction. Until next time new cars are boring, fix something old.