Short messages on Relationships issues from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
“Drama usually comes from my reaction to other people’s actions. I stop to think: Does this really matter in the long run, or am I just trying to be right?” – Anita Grimm-Hohl
Instead of creating drama, find alternative solutions. If you’re looking for attention, can you get it more directly? If you’re bored, what new adventure can you create in your life?
Know your limits and what will cause you to feel taken advantage of. Know that you can’t do everything or please everyone and learn to be OK with that. Go with what is right for you.
“You get what you push out. If you act in a way that is positive and minimal drama, you attract the same kind of positive situations and people.” – April Myers
Don’t believe everything you think; your mind can be a very convincing liar. Thoughts are just thoughts, and it’s unhealthy and exhausting to give so much power to the negative ones.
When you look at other people through a lens of compassion and understanding rather than judgment and jealousy, you are better able to see them for what they are – human beings. They are beautifully imperfect human beings going through the same universal challenges that we all go through.
Accept compliments graciously. Accept feedback positively – be prepared to say you don’t agree but do not get defensive or angry.
Allow yourself to be angry, but always be respectful. Do say what’s on your mind, but do it in a way that protects the other person’s feelings. Control your emotions.
Don’t text or post online anything you wouldn’t want your parents, teachers or friends to see. Even if you completely trust someone, people using someone else’s ‘phone might accidentally see it.
Don’t wait for someone to recognise what you need: to perform to your full potential, your needs must be met. Find ways to get your needs met without sacrificing others’ needs in the process.