Anger can be described as an violent infection. Maybe this infection was passed on to you through a genetic trait from your parents. Most likely you were infected by some trauma or painful experience in your life. Regardless of how you came to be angry, there is an antidote. There is a prescribed course of action you must take to rid yourself of rage, aggression and lingering resentment. Medications and prescription come with detailed instructions. You must follow the instructions to the letter if you intend on being healed. Some prescriptions require you to ingest the medication every day while others insist that you apply your medicine as a topical solution only. You must use your medication consistently and appropriately if you wish to receive the benefits. This same principle applies to anger antidotes. If you are inconsistent don't expect a reduction in your anger. If you are steadfast and vigilant you will be surprised on how quickly change will occur.

HW Longfellow If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm any hostility.

Kill it with kindness

You can kill chronic anger with a simple daily dose of kindness. Kindness is the quality of being warm-hearted, considerate, humane and sympathetic. Being kind prevents you from participating in self- absorption. Anger is an emotion that prevents empathy and causes an individual to be consumed only with him or herself.

Smile

A daily does of kindness can start with a smile. Believe it or not your facial expressions and the movement of your body can produce an emotional response in you and other people. You can begin to express kindness by practicing your very own signature grin. Take a daily trip to your mirror and perfect your smile. Smiles come in all shapes and with various amounts of intensity. A wide-open mouth smile can unveil the curtain to reveal those pearly white teeth. You can finally get your monies worth for years of braces and teeth whitening. A closed smirk can send signals of humility or flirtation. It is virtually impossible to remain in a state of hostility with a smile on your face.

Be Polite

The word polite can be defined as showing regard for others in manners, speech and behavior. The fact that polite is the root word in the word political is a testament of how the English language has changed. You cannot be polite and full of aggression at the same time. If you intend on killing your anger with kindness I would suggest you incorporate the following list of niceties into your vocabulary: Good Morning, good afternoon, good evening, thank you, please, may I, excuse me, pardon me, I'm sorry and forgive me. These polite phrases can deescalate a variety of hostile encounters. You can practice them on your local grocery clerk or while shopping in the mall during the Christmas holiday. The trick is to be purposeful and consistent. Do not wait until you find yourself in a hostile situation to use these terms. This type of dialogue will feel foreign and awkward but stick with it until you begin to see results.

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

Compliments

A well-placed compliment can transform the demeanor of the fiercest enemy. If you look hard enough you can find something nice to say about any individual. As you go throughout your day practice looking for the good in people and when you find it, tell them. Don't wait for them to respond in like manner. Your kind words should be like a cool breeze on a summer day, unexpected and welcome.

Give till it hurts

Giving is another anger antidote that rescues you from your self. It focuses your attention on another person. In addition giving is the type of action that comes back to you. If you can find a way to position yourself in a cycle of unselfish giving and receiving you may find the rewards so great that anger becomes an afterthought. There are a number of ways in which you can give, but your giving should be of a personal nature. Avoid just writing a check and sending it to a charity several miles away. Get involved with people. You can become a big brother or sister. Be of assistance to the homeless or the elderly. Some say you are not really giving if it does not cause you to sacrifice. A $25 donation from Donald Trump is not saying much. Your giving should be in direct relationship to what you have.

Forgiveness I found myself procrastinating as I made attempts to write about forgiveness. It is the anger antidote that I find the most difficult to swallow. When you forgive you feel as if you are letting down your guard. It is like a solider coming out of a fox whole as he waives the white flag of surrender. You have know idea if the enemy sniper ahead of you is colorblind. It is important to remember that forgiveness is not equivalent to trust. When you forgive you do not ignore the fact that an individual has harmed you. An individual's past behavior is still a reliable marker of what they can do in the future. When a prisoner is pardoned it does not mean the courts have ignored his crimes, its only means they have decided to give him another chance in society. His actions are severely scrutinized while he earns his trust.