Anger is a gift. Use it.

2 mins 20 secs

Last week I turned 23. Time flies.

I started Visual Growth just before turning 20, and it changed my life. Honestly…I still don’t know exactly what I’m doing. I’m winging it.

A lot has happened lately.

Some important deals fell through unexpectedly.

I went through some personal emotional turmoil.

I realized time was passing too quickly, and I wasn’t doing my best. I had been coasting, thinking I had all the time in the world to relax.

This combination of emotions almost broke me. I was angry that I wasn’t living up to my potential. I nearly turned to junk food and a movie to forget.

Then, something I wrote in my journal last year came to mind:

Anger is fuel. Anger is useful. Anger is a gift. Not something to avoid.

Could anger be the gift I didn’t know I needed?

An idea came to me: Run a half marathon. Right now. Alone. Nonstop.

I run regularly but usually stop after a few miles, checking my phone or walking. This time, I realized I could use my emotions as fuel.

I felt adrenaline as my anger turned into excitement.

It was a cold, windy day, but I put on my gear and went for it.

Before I left, I told myself I’d do 12km instead of 21km, because I didn’t think I could do it.

Last year, I struggled after 12km with a friend pushing me. If he hadn’t been there, I would’ve stopped.

This time, I was alone.

But as soon as I started running, I felt unstoppable. I used every emotion to keep going, running because of spite.

I completed the full half-marathon at a strong pace, without stopping, and still had energy left.

I couldn’t have done it without that anger.

The next day, I naturally woke up earlier, worked harder, ate healthier, and avoided bad habits. I had a new focus.

This realization will change my life forever. Anger is a gift.

We’re often told to just love ourselves, avoid anger, and be gentle. But what if anger was there for a reason?

Energy can’t be destroyed nor created; only converted. Anger signals that it’s time for change.

Two days later, I ran 23km at an even faster pace. This week I’ve run 3 half-marathons. Soon, I will run 30km.

This isn’t about running. It’s about the power of pain when things don’t go as planned. That’s when you change for good. It’s a turning point.

I can’t wait to get angry again and channel it into something else.

This is how you become anti-fragile.

You don’t feel angry? Great. Time to celebrate!

Things are falling apart? Even better. Now you have an edge. You can channel that energy into something productive. It’s a superpower. You have a strong reason to outpace your old self.

Sincerely,

Ash Lamb

(468 of 500 words)

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P.S. What worked for me might not work for everyone and may lead to injuries. That said, I truly believe we’re capable of far more than we think. We often hold ourselves back out of fear of abandoning our old selves.

Feel free to reply—I respond to everyone.