Anger can motivate you if you direct it that way.

On this issue, I am an expert. If you've surfed around my blog at all, you've probably noticed a pattern of optimism punctuated by periods of searing rage, or maybe it's the other way around. All I know is, unemployment pisses me off sometimes.

Toward the end of this post, I'm going to tell you how I deal with it and even use it to my advantage, but first I want to address the issue of anger itself.

My own unemployment pisses me off, mostly at myself. I'm not sure where I went wrong and apparently made myself unemployable despite my great work ethic and fairly respectable set of skills. Whatever mistake I made, I would sure like to undo, but life doesn't work like that. Sometimes I get pissed off at the hiring managers, recruiters, and HR goons who are too stupid to see how much value I would add to their enterprises. Mostly, though, I'm mad at myself for screwing my life up.

Of course I realize that I'm not the only one in this boat. There are millions, maybe tens of millions of us in this situation. Unemployment as a social phenomenon gets me pretty steamed. There's something seriously messed up about an economic system that allows 493 billionaires to control so much wealth while millions who want to work can't find work. Sorry, but that is as plain as day. Our very system of capitalism is obviously in need of repair and adjustment.

But that's not really what this is about. My goal in writing this is to ease the suffering of someone out there who is unemployed and mad. When you get mad about unemployment, just remember that this is a perfectly natural emotional response. The anger itself is not necessarily a problem. Anger is sort of a gift, actually (at least that's what my therapist tells me). It can be a tremendous source of power and energy. Like all things powerful, it is also dangerous.

The thing you need is a constructive outlet for your anger. If you don't have one, this emotion will obliterate you. Exercise can work well. Cleaning is great. Creative activities can produce fruit in a state of anger. Anger can even motivate you to make money. It's true! One time my ex-wife called me a loser because I couldn't earn money. I stormed out of the house and made $200 in the next hour -- legally. Boy, I wish I could repeat that, but the motivation just isn't there without the rage.

Don't get mad, get busy.

Good luck!

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