Ouch! Lesson learned

Yesterday, I was asked to take down an earlier post. I did immediately as requested.

I was trying to help someone, but it wasn't my place. I got involved where it was none of my business. No matter how helpful you may want to be toward someone, that someone doesn't have to like it. In the future, I'll be more cautious about stepping on other people's toes.

I wasn't aware of how much that could hurt.

Now I am.

Lesson learned.

Can you relate? Have you ever done something to help another person, and it backfired? How did you resolve the situation?

My challenge for the day

It's no fun, but I have to make a phone call today that could result in a conflict.

I don't like it, but it's an issue I must deal with. I've put it off for a few days while I thought through the matter.

So, how to best handle it?

I've created a script of what I can say to this person.
I know what my needs are in this instance.
I know where I am willing to compromise and where I'm not.
I know my truth about the situation.

I can now say I am ready to make this call.

If there is a conflict or a challenge that you are dealing with today, have you determined what you need first? Before you confront the challenge head-on, before you say something you might regret, hash out on paper what the problem is and how you think you would best like it handled. Then work backwards and see where you can compromise. I learned to do this during my divorce; it really helped me stay focused on what I needed the outcome to be. I knew what the worst possible outcome could be. I knew what the more likely outcome would be. And from there, I knew what I could handle.

My lawyer gave me the best piece of advice when she told me to remember that I always have time to think about it. So I wrote down these words, "Let me think about it first" on paper, and I used them throughout my entire divorce proceedings. Those words may come in handy for me again.

Let me think about that while I dial the number.

All my best,
Jackie