No matter what comes up in our lives, whether positive or negative, there is always a choice in life, even when we think we don’t have any choices. We can choose to act on something, or not; we can choose to speak up or not; we can choose whether to react or respond to negative emotional situations; we can even choose not to choose - believe it or not, that is, in itself, a choice.
Basically, finding harmony and tranquility in our lives means choosing our battles wisely.
Let me give you an example: My husband is one of the most loving, generous, and caring people I’ve ever known. Unlike me, he’s a very social person who never declines opportunities to invite himself into other people’s lives either by getting involved in an ongoing conversation, or starting up a new one with someone. This is just one trait among many positive attributes that I admire and love about him.
But while he is loving, generous, and caring, my husband is also oblivious to such things as body language and tone of voice, he’s a huge packrat, and he’s incredibly pigheaded when it comes to things like getting rid of stuff that’s old, outdated, and essentially useless. He’s also not a very good listener, and he has a very irritating habit of interrupting and making the issue about him. If I didn’t choose my battles, I’d have lost my mind years ago.
You see, I know these latter issues exist, and I know from many years of experience that no matter how often I try to communicate certain things to him, he isn’t going to change. It’s frustrating as all hell - that’s a fact - but I’ve learned that these are battles I can’t win. So, rather than driving my stress levels higher than they already are, by that point, I choose to remain silent, reminding myself all the while that the planet isn’t going to turn into a huge blob of purple polka-dotted cheese if he doesn’t change. Besides, Universe knows I have traits that drive him up the wall…
The point is this: Choosing your battles wisely creates better results than blowing a gasket - not only for you, but for the people around you, as well. Over time, you’ll be able to sort out what will and what won’t turn the moon yellow and purple (figuratively speaking, of course).
Just remember one important thing: Always carry a towel, no matter what you decide. You never know when you might need it.
