Living A Drama Free Life

[Cricket]

This is a really nice article on ways to help you live a drama free life, but I am wondering what tips YOU have found most effective in YOUR life.

First: You have to accept that you can't fix everything! There are going to be situations in your life that you can do absolutely nothing about! So, you can do one of two things; you can cry over it and throw yourself into a headache inducing pity party, or you can stand strong and believe and hope for the best.
http://www.helium.com/items/267590-h...rama-free-life

[ScriptMan]

Heck if you just manage to master those four you won't have any problems. Works for me. Sometimes harder to do than to talk about.

[Romolo]

that is a good article, I like it, thanks for sharing it with us :-)

[txshellie]

That is an interesting article, Cricket.

In fact I just had an opportunity for drama - and I tried to take the highroad.

(How many times do you let a girlfriend cancel plans on you 40 minutes after she is supposed to be at your house?)

I just have an issue with this advice:

Fourth: Learn not to give a rat's ass! Sounds funny, doesn't it? Well, it's true! If someone gets in your face and calls your mother a whore, then smile and say "thank you". If someone jumps up in your business and calls you every name in the book, first ask yourself, "is what they're saying true?", then smile and say "thank you". Don't sweat the small stuff! If it's not going to change your life or future in any way, then it's not worth letting it get to you! Got it!

I guess this is one issue where you must find balance. Too many men think like this and it's part of the reason they end up old and lonely. I think you should care to the degree that it doesn't take away from your life.

Without the desire to defend your mother's name, what are you? A noodle of a person?

This idea to me ranks up with the current thinking that winning and losing are the same. (Last time I looked winning was mmm... better.)

I think that we can all choose to be offended and that choosing not to be offended and assuming the best instead of the worst is the surest way to avoid drama.

And good old-fashioned etiquette style manners.

[ScriptMan]

Shellie with all respect for your position I, a male must disagree with your last point.

Without the desire to defend your mother's name, what are you? A noodle of a person?

I am going to substitute grandmother for mother as that is who raised me. I know she wasn't. Why should I waste my time taking offense at and defending a position that is just plain ridiculous. I know she was the one who taught me that sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.

I try to live my life with respect or at least tolerance for all. I would never hurt another person intentionally or otherwise if I could avoid it. I prefer to be well though of and liked, but frankly I do not need anyone's approval to be happy with myself. Sounds a little nicer than rat's pootooty but means the same thing.

Dying is the one thing we all do alone no matter how many friends and family are gathered at the bedside or what they think of us.

With respect,

[txshellie]

Originally Posted by ScriptMan

I am going to substitute grandmother for mother as that is who raised me. I know she wasn't. Why should I waste my time taking offense at and defending a position that is just plain ridiculous. I know she was the one who taught me that sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.

I try to live my life with respect or at least tolerance for all. I would never hurt another person intentionally or otherwise if I could avoid it. I prefer to be well though of and liked, but frankly I do not need anyone's approval to be happy with myself. Sounds a little nicer than rat's pootooty but means the same thing.

Sounds a Howard Roake-ish to me and he always made me nervous as a character.

I'm sorry that all people don't share your beliefs about respect and tolerance. What do you think of this quotation:

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing (or variations thereof?)

I guess it all depends on the circumstance. My husband always has a good theory in a fight ... run. That's realistic. Let's not die on the beach because you smart off and tell a gangbanger to turn down his stereo (I remember about hearing something like this happening years ago) but I just don't think that someone should be allowed to call your Grandmother a whore.

Some things are sacred.

I'll kick his ass.

(If she's still with us, I'd like to know her opinion on this subject.)

I wonder if this is a Southern thing... or a personality type issue. <shrug>

Good topic.

With best regards,

[Jim Gillum]

I have a "don't care approach" that has worked well for years...
If someone is so ignorant as to think that an insult will do damage ...they are too ignorant to debate...

I will not get into a battle of wits with an unarmed person....

I avoid drama by walking away from the "sad" stories.....
I will help a friend...but will not do it for them....
Advise is cheap...and sometimes worth it....

You can try to change the things that you can change......forget the others...
You will end up with more time and mental energy to move forward and not live in the past...
It is gone....

[ScriptMan]

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing (or variations thereof?)

I think that the wise man knows the difference between evil and a loudmouth/blowhard.

I think that each of us has a moral duty to confront and defeat evil where ever we find it. Laying one's life online fighting pure evil may be a worthy sacrifice.

But to waste your time or life on a blowhard is nothing more than a waste. I think Jim said it very well but substitute fight for the word debate :

If someone is so ignorant as to think that an insult will do damage ...they are too ignorant to debate...

I will not get into a battle of wits with an unarmed person....

EDIT: I missed the last part of your post:

(If she's still with us, I'd like to know her opinion on this subject.)

I wonder if this is a Southern thing... or a personality type issue. <shrug>

She would be 102 if she were still here. She passed at the ripe old age of 88. Those cigarettes finally got her. Her age and body weight were about the same at the time of death.

I would have to quote two other things she always said and that is the best I can do for her opinion. "Class knows no income levels". and "Judge a person by what they are, not the color of their skin or how much money they have". Heck when I heard the MLK speech, I sorta assumed my granny and his Momma went to the same school.

The last time I checked KY was considered still in the South though we did not secede from the Union.

[J from Michigan]

If a person calls another persons mother a whoer, he's already made a bigger ass out of himself than him getting knocked out will do.
(besides that, I don't like jail)

If someone pushes things and gets physical, I carry mace at all times... I don't fight.
I'll simply drop them to their knees in tears, and walk away.

[Cricket]

This is what I try to do...

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
No matter how hard ya try, ya just can't fix stupid. You aint got no dog in that hunt, so just move on.

The courage to change the things I can.
Mess with me and I might kill ya with kindness, unless of course ya choose to question my integrity, in which case we may have some discussin' to do. Mess with my kid though, and I will kick yer butt so far into next week you will have to send out a search party. Aint nothing much worse to deal with than an angry mama. Never forget that. Now, iffen ya keep calling me on the phone with all your drama, but don't take action on the solutions, I am prolly gonna stop picking up the phone.

And the wisdom to know the dang difference.
Pick your battles wisely. If it just really doesn't matter, who cares who is right, move on. Life is just way too short to get hung up on the stupid stuff.

[ewomack]

Not a bad start, but I would add a few more to that list:

Live below your means. Save money. Don't blow every penny that comes your way. Really, all of those gadgets that people say you need, you don't really need them. If your circle of friends pressures you to keep up with the gadget roller coaster, then find some new friends.

Don't worry about having too many friends or being invited to "enough" parties. Spend time alone and realize that it's okay. Don't hang out with people you don't like because you think it's better than being alone.

Investigate things that you fear. Usually the reality is not as scary as the abstract anxiety you've formed in your head.