When we choose anger to react to a situation, we also usually accept a strange partner of fear/victim. Think about the times when you have been angry: didn't your anger come with a partner? With thoughts of How dare he/she? That's not fair! They shouldn't treat me this way!

If you find yourself thinking these thoughts, it is very easy to slip from That's not fair! through I've been treated unfairly to I'm a victim here. When you choose to let go of anger, it is amazing just how good your life can be. Although anger can be a useful servant when you are afraid to fuel necessary action, anger can too easily turn into a hateful master that brings with it even more fear and self doubt.

So why do we choose to react with anger? Psychologists tell us that anger is just a product of our belief system. If someone treated you badly in the past it is natural to react with anger in the present.

Yet psychologists also tell us that everything that you see is a reflection of yourself, so anger is only an expression of what you believe to be true. You can never really know another person, so really what you know of them is what you project onto them from your own reality. You create your own virtual reality from your own thoughts and beliefs.

The next time something upsets you and you react with anger, you can, if you wish, choose to use your anger to find out what belief is reflected back to you that makes you uncomfortable.

Or you could just decide that, just for today, you will let go of anger by using the five precepts as a guide to a better life. You may find that letting go of your anger creates the space you need in the Now to welcome love into your life. Now isn’t that an amazing exchange, lose the anger – welcome love!

It is difficult to love another person unless you love yourself because there really isn't much of a difference between you and another person. Self-love comes when you realise that you are life itself because you are part of the circle of life and connected to all life, you are everything and everything is reflected in you.

No-one else can do this for you. Only you can accept the challenge to create the space you need in the Now to welcome love into your life.

When you choose to love yourself you accept and understand everything that made you the perfect being you are, right here, right now. And as soon as you love yourself, it becomes easy to love others. It’s all in the perception.

If you would like to know more the next topic discussed in Living the Reiki Principles is letting go of worry, or you can talk to us @ Ideas Unlimited, Ravenshoe, Australia, 07 4097 7298