Outstanding Stories » Control Your Anger

“Control Your Anger” is one of the outstanding stories (sub-junior) of the second biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Aarav Desai, Shree Vallabh Sanskar Dham, India.

Control Your Anger

Rick was a nice young boy who had a very bad habit of getting angry at every little thing. He would easily get angry at anyone and would even use foul language sometimes. His parents and teachers often suggested him to control his anger and improve his behavior. Rick always replied, “stop irritating me”.

He had a soft corner for painting. So on his seventh birthday, his mom gifted him a canvas and a palette of colors. He asked his mother, “What’s this for?”

It’s to help you. Whenever you feel angry, to get rid from that frustrations just try drawing your feelings on it. Very first he painted a building falling down and said I want this to happen to my school. I hate those kids who keep bullying and criticizing me. I feel so angry at them.

His mother said, “Ohh! Rick. It’s okay. Just paint about whatever you feel inside and whatever you think you want to do.”

Rick took another sheet and started painting on it. By the weekend, there were several paintings in his room about his anger. One day, his mom went into his room and found some paintings hanged on the wall. She collected some of them and took them to the garden and asked him about it.

Then she asked him to find out the common thing in all of them. He replied to his mother, ‘In all the paintings I was angry at all of them.’ Mom said exactly, “You reacted to each person who said something bad about you. Your anger is their power to tease you.”

He said, “You are right mom but what should I do? My anger always overpowers me.”

His mother said controlling anger is simple if you commit it once. If you want, I will give you an advise. Whenever you feel angry at anyone, just take a deep breath and count numbers in 10 to 1 order before you react. Think good thoughts and divert yourself, you will be able to control your anger.”

He thanked his mother and said, “I will try this and also paint it.” After following this Rick’s behavior changed and he was a much happier kid than before and started treating everyone with love.

Moral: Nothing is impossible if you try hard.