Sunday, November 3, 2013

When Do you know when Enough is Enough

Earlier tonight I was thinking what to blog about...hmmm....I think for once I may have had writer's block however brief it lasted...

We'll see where this leads...here goes...

First I must say that it's soo great connecting with people that you haven't seen/spoken to in a while...it's really good to know they still care. While some on the other hand, just fade into the sunset and that connection dies a natural death as quickly as it began...we don't know why or how or where but it's some of life's harsh realities...#FakeVsReal

Which brings me to a fact of life that I haven't quite grasped...how do you know when to draw the line?

photo credit - charliesays.it
How many of us take and take and let things slide, ignoring things that are right in front of our faces...whether it be professional or personal...how do we know when enough is enough and it's time to confront our problems head on?

It may be an annoying habit or behaviour or perhaps just blatant disrespect and disregard. Do you ignore and channel your angst elsewhere or do you confront your friend/spouse/family member/boss/colleague? And at what point do you realize that it's overbearing and impacting on you in a negative way, so much so that you have reached the point of no return?

Personally I deal with things of this nature on a case by case basis. It's weird but it depends on the situation. Usually I have a very short fuse when it comes to disrespect, but I've realized that my propensity to ignore have grown over the years. In the past, partly due to shyness, I would give persons the benefit of the doubt as they often got away with murder. Over the years however, my personality has morphed into a complexity so rare sometimes it amazes me. Nowadays, I treat with different people differently based on how our personalities mesh, their temperament, the setting and also the relationship I have with them which dictates how much leeway I have to express myself freely. 

With that said, I will make a general statement. Sometimes we accept rotten behaviour because of fear. Fear of loss of something whether it is our ego, self-esteem or something more tangible. Or perhaps we choose to ignore the transgressions of others because of the fear of conflict. It may be easier to ignore things because we don't want to create strive and be seen as the bad guy. But then this also causes us to suffer internal conflict because of our non-confrontational stance. 

When we have the guts to fight our battles to the end, we overcome our fears and regain our respect as we acknowledge to others that we feel wronged. The ball is now in their court to respond to our feelings. If they don't, it's a chance we take to have our situation resolved. The odds are both parties may be able to work out their differences and come up with an amicable solution. Worse case scenario, you meet a deadlock and you are forced to make a decision to either stay in the not-so-pleasant situation or call it a day and throw in the towel. The latter may be a risk in itself, but some risks are worth it to find your rightful place in life.

Food for Thought:
  • Sometimes we have to find the guts to stand up for our rights. When we do, we know whether we're walking on solid ground, rather than feeling our way around on eggshells. We find courage to find our voice and fight for what's ours - respect.
  • We need to choose our battles. Some people and situations are simply not worth the time spent in struggle. Weigh the pros and cons and move forward with faith and purpose.
  • When you meet a fork in the road, it's like bells go off in your head. You feel it in your soul what's the next step. It may be a risk, but it's all the risk you need to make a purposeful decision about your future and carve your space in the world. It just may be the best decision you ever made.

What's your next step?

Peace & Love