Avoid-conflict

Avoid Conflict

There are many opportunities throughout a typical week to get into conflict with others.  Sometimes they are right in front of us, say at a restaurant where you’ve just received poor service.  Other times it may be while driving.  Regardless, these roadblocks prevent us from experiencing the favor and fullness of our lives.

Did you know that it confuses you when you hold on to conflict, dispute, or friction?  Because conflict opens the door for more problems, it creeps into our lives bit by bit as we try to see the world as we want it, instead of how it is right now in front of us.  The negative energy then comes into our other relationships and causes problems as well.  All because we need something to be different than it is presently.  When we expect something to be a certain way or people to do certain things as a matter of convention, we are sure to set ourselves up for conflict.

This conflict causes us to react later to those we love with a matter-of-factness that can cause problems for that relationship.  We need to be on guard constantly for conflict and decide to allow others to be as they are.  Allow them to do what they need to do and then move on from them.

Living with a positive flow of energy and beingness requires moving in love for others, even when they conflict.  Step back, suspend yourself from getting caught up in the emotions for the moment and look at the exchange from a distance.  We must lay our requirements of others and our opinions aside for the moment and just allow people to be themselves.  If they are out of control, extend the peace and love they need to get back to the center again.

It is far more critical to focus on peace than to prove our point to someone or set someone straight.  It is not necessary to correct or tell everyone what you think or point out the mistake they made.  Become self-disciplined to allow them to do what they may and, with your flexibility, extend a peacefulness to them.

If you practice this and teach your kids to do so, you will find peacefulness and a positive flow of energy that assists you throughout the day far beyond the incident of conflict.  I hope that you will give this a try.

If you are not familiar with “You” vs. “I” statements, read this to help with conflict I” Statements vs. “You” Statements – Part 2 – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

HealthLine has a wonderful article here on this topic Conflict Avoidance: Why It’s Harmful, How to Overcome It & More (healthline.com)

Yours for a Better Life,

Rich