Relationships are work

Do you have friends who feel it is their job to criticize and correct you at every turn?  Do you have people in your life for whom nothing or no one is good enough? Do these people suck the positivity out of every conversation and out of you when you let them?  And is not letting them get to you more work than you counted on?

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the energy it takes to manage relationships. I want to run away and hide.  I am pretty skilled at talking to people and think I am open to the possibilities that people present but sometimes they lean on me too hard.  I just want to shout out them “There are other was to deal with life besides burdening your self and others.”

The “glass half empty” crowd can’t see what is good in their life and don’t seem to be able to take the time to count blessings or be grateful for what they have.  they blame the world for their woes and expect others to rescue them from life itself.  For them it is difficult to find the joy, the pleasure in getting up in the morning and letting the sunshine on them.  “It is too hot.” they complain.

The other crowd that irks me sometimes is the ‘helpless’ crowd.  These people can do nothing for themselves and do not have enough confidence to even try to fix anything or any situation.  They cry for help and sit back and watch as other people solve their problems for them and them complain because they are not smart or capable but do nothing to rectify the situation.  Those people make me tired and I can only handle being around them for so long before I need to find the ‘helpful and capable’ and ‘half full’ crowds to replenish my energy.

I guard against becoming ‘helpless’ and ‘half empty’ by retreating to treat myself to some down time to rejuvenate and to pay attention to the syncronistic ways of the world.  I am not sure if that is cowardly or not.  I like to think of it as survival mode.  What about you?