Repeat after me; “I am not responsible for the happiness of others.” Have you ever got stuck in the trap where you felt like you had to make others happy, yet there was nothing you could do to sustain their happiness? It might be with a co-worker, spouse, or emotionally fragile friends from church that you have to walk on eggshells or those extended relatives that you feel you have to impress or please. So, let’s repeat it; “I am not responsible for the happiness of others.” So how do you take care of the drama in your life? Here are four quick tips to help you through it.
Be Straight Forward
Dramatic people tend to make every conversation about them; they don’t live in reality. They listen to what you say and think about how they can “one-up” you or bring the discussion back to them. So, to deal with this, you need to be straightforward with them. Let them know that for the relationship to work, you need them to not make things just about them but to support you. You might want to ask permission to tell them something that might hurt, but you are doing it because you genuinely care for them. Moreover, you might need to have this conversation several times because the drama has probably been part of their character for years.
Have an Agenda
When you know you will have to deal with someone who struggles with being dramatic, it’s a good idea to plan where you want the conversation to go. I like to think ahead of time of three to five topics that I would like to discuss with them (these are the verbal places I will go with them – it usually doesn’t involve politics or parenting). But since I know they like to talk about them, I will bring up safe and dear items to their heart. Also, I try to plan the meeting place; if the person becomes a jerk when drinking, then don’t agree to meet them at a bar. If they begin talking about a subject you don’t want to discuss, tell them and change the topic.
Be Affirmative
People who struggle with being dramatic tend to be negative in their view of life. Being around negative people can zap/drain the emotional energy from your life. So to deal with this, you will need to purpose in your heart to be positive and to limit your exposure to them. We all have to deal with people who irritate us, but we control how we respond to them. Be strong, be affirmative, and as best you can, be positive about life. Bring LIFE to the party!
Be Fearless
Many times in life, we will stay in toxic relationships for far too long because we fear isolation or we might hurt someone’s feelings. We must be fearless in setting boundaries around our lives that protect our hearts.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) – Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Therefore, we need to be fearless in moving away from toxic relationships and toward healthy relationships that will bring out the best in us.
Want more insight?
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What are you doing to gain ownership of your life? Leave a comment below; I’d love to hear what works for you.
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