Okay, you know as well as I do that there’s no “quick fix” for family conflicts, but I found a clever video on what it might look like if there ever WERE a “quick fix” to resolve conflict between family members.
Take a few minutes to watch the short video below, I’m sure you’ll get a much needed laugh this time of year like I did.
But on a more serious note, this is the time of year when people are tense, stressed out and many can’t wait for the season to be over with.
And with holiday get-togethers right around the corner, it’s important you don’t let your marriage and family struggles get in the way of the family festivities for your childrens’ sake.
So I’ve created 5 quick tips you can use to make sure your family get-togethers become happy memories for your children.
1) Control your emotions. Decide ahead of time you’re gonig to control your emotions regardless of what anybody says or does. I think it’s important to note that you can’t do this in the moment, you MUST do this ahead of time.
2) Be yourself. You’ve got to relax and feel okay about who you are. That means not absorbing the pressures that other people put on you. A good way to do this is to say to yourself, “I’m just being myself and I’m relaxed. (Which goes hand in hand with tip #1.)
3) Don’t wait for people to come to you. Instead, you go to them. This means, if you want to connect with somebody, go talk to them. Be interested in them and don’t wait for them to be interested in you. Find out what their life is about and dwell on them, it will make you feel good.
4) Look for other people to encourage. Go into family get-togethers looking for what’s right. Again, you must decide to do this ahead of time. For instance, you could complement your sister in-law on the casserole she made or offer positive feedback about the holiday decorations.
5) Acknowledge other people’s successes and hard work. This goes for kids as well. Make a big deal out of kids and acknowledge their successes. If you do that, everybody will think you’re the greatest person on Earth. Now imagine yourself going into the house, doing all 5 of these things and living this way. Visualize it BEFORE you attend the event. You’ll find if you do all 5 of these things, there will be no room for dwelling on past grudges or negativity because you’ll be so focused on what’s positive and right about others.
It might even help if you print these suggestions out and take them with you so you have something to focus on.
By the way, these 5 tips can also be applied in your marriage as well. Did you know that you can create a real “turning point” in your marriage if you put aside the resentment and start meeting just ONE of your spouse’s needs?
It’s true.
If you haven’t picked up a copy of my FREE Special Report, “The 2 Greatest Needs of Men and Women”, I’d strongly encourage you do so now. The report outlines the 2 greatest needs of men and women and what you can do to start meeting those needs today!
To a less stressful and more fulfilling holiday season,
Larry
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