Why You Really Should Pick and Choose Your Battles Wisely
By Crystal Lambert
Sometimes It’s just not worth it. The arguments, the irritation, the annoyance, the negative energy—but how do you know when you should just leave it alone? Every day you are faced with many decisions. Often times those decisions include deciding if a negative situation is worth your time. Wether it be with your significant other, family, co-workers , or friends— there are certain situations where you should simply take the “high road.”
Okay, so lets say you and your partner argue over something as simple as one person “having an attitude.” Instead of going back and forth, it may just be best to let it go and save yourself from the yelling and fussing. Unless the attitude is occurring everyday, you would be consciously saving yourself from a potential headache. Besides, you never know what may have happened earlier in your partners day to cause the attitude— it could have been completely unintentional. There is no better feeling than knowing that you did something wrong but your s/o was totally calm and trying to avoid any conflict with you— especially when it’s over something really petty. If you do happen to find yourself being the “Debbie Downer”, be sure to go back and apologize, let them know they were super amazing for handling the crabby patty attitude in such a great manner. Effort goes a long way.
The same idea applies to family, having a mother born and raised in another country affected how she handled certain situations with me. I remember getting my first taste of heartbreak, and my mom caught me crying in my room. Instead of consoling me and telling me everything would be okay, She yelled at me for crying. Foreign moms will not hesitate to tell you how they feel, especially when you are gaining weight. Trust me they will notice before you do. I used to get so defensive when my mom would tell me these things. As I became older I started to realize that she is who she is and isn’t about to stop telling me how things are — straight up. So I learned to accept her comments and just know that whatever she says is coming from a good place.
When it comes to co-workers and friends you will occasionally come across that one person who tries to out-do you or bring you down. Whether it’s intentional or not you have to decide how close of a friend or co-worker they are to you. Then you can decide if it’s worth confronting them about it, or if it’s just better to let it go and carry on. Debating or arguing with people who aren’t that significant in your life is a complete waste of energy and time.
Within my personal experience I’ve noticed that 9 times out of 10, it’s better to just take the high road. I fully understand that it can be difficult in the heat of the moment, and you want to let that other person know exactly how you feel. My advice is to take a breather—walk away, or into another room if you can and see if the situation still bothers you after you’ve cooled off. If you are still bothered, you can try talking to them about it once you are calm and collected. Life is so much easier when everyone is getting along, and once you start to consciously practice avoiding negative situations, you start living in peace. It’s not easy and it definitely takes effort, but in the long run you will be super proud of yourself.