One of the major stumbling blocks on the road to happiness is the painful emotion of anger. Whether this anger is directed at a friend or loved one, or worse… yourself, it is a feeling that must be overcome and released if you are truly going to have a chance at lasting happiness.

Anger is something that we all have to deal with from time to time. It is virtually impossible to stroll through life without becoming angry with someone that you know and love. In fact, one of the worst bouts of anger you can have is actually with that person staring back at you in the mirror.

When something or someone upsets you, it is extremely important to vent your feelings. Ideally, it’s best to deal with the offender directly. If that someone happens to be you, so be it. In fact, forgiving yourself is one of the most important steps you can take on the happiness path. If you are not worthy of forgiveness, how can you ever experience real happiness?

I’m not suggesting that you run out and berate everyone who has ever done you wrong, I am merely stating that harboring anger will eventually catch up with you making it very difficult, if not impossible, to partake in the happiness that would otherwise be available to you.

It is perfectly normal and natural to become upset or angry with others or yourself. Perhaps someone insulted you, hurt you, cheated or betrayed you. Maybe you actually let yourself down by not playing by the rules, or accomplishing a goal that you had set out to achieve. Conceivably, you unintentionally or worse, intentionally harmed someone. While none of this is noble, it is crucial to let it go.

If possible, try to talk through it. If you are angry with someone else, let them know how you feel. Try not to speak to them with phrases like, “You did this…” or “You made me feel like that…”, but instead, use expressions like, “After our conversation, I feel like…”. Use I’s rather than You’s. It will do wonders for hashing it out.

With forgiveness comes peace, and with peace, happiness may begin to flow. Therefore, it is important to remember that happiness begins with forgiveness.