Someone…recently described me as…difficult…my first response was…to think of all the ways that my…difficultness…had been warranted…of all the ways…that I was…right…and they were…wrong…to perpetuate myself…as the victim…of unjust criticism…
Of course…Bertha…only let me wallow in those sentiments…for a few minutes…before…she pointed out the obvious…I was difficult…at least from…the other person’s perspective…
Yikes…she was right…I was…although…I prefer to think of it as…determined…that sounds more…genteel…kind of like saying women…dew…instead of perspire…although…they still smell like sweat at the end of the day…
Anyway…regardless of whether I was difficult or determined…she was actually proud of me…for taking a stand…for setting a boundary…for believing in my worth…for…not backing down…
And…I have to admit…these are not easy things for me to do…it’s much easier…just to go with someone else’s flow…and…say…whatever…so…that no one…refers to me as…difficult…I am a people pleaser…after all…
But…Bertha…says I have to let go of other people’s opinion of me…let go of the expectation…that…everyone…is going to…or…should…agree with me…like me…
Hmmm…not easy for a people pleaser…or a reforming people pleaser…as I hope I am…
But…Bertha…promises…that as I let other people’s opinions go…and…live from my heart…that…real movement will take place in my life…movement…that will take me to the places that I want to go…
And…she says…it really isn’t…difficult…
Jane
Ok…if you think change is needed, go for it…however, I like you just the way you are.
Well, maybe not all that “pleasing people ” stuff.
What do they know anyway. 🙂
I trust Bertha to guide you in the direction you need to go.
Happy day…and Roll Tide !
Thank you Bea…and actually…I do intend to stay difficult…when needed…;) I’ve been a people pleaser long enough! Thanks for the Roll Tide…I hear they should have a good season.
Actually, I like you being difficult. That means you are not being hypocritical. You are being true to your. My husband had a different word for it for me. Hardhead… stubborn.
If you go the direction someone else wants you to go, there is another person pulling you the other way, so there is no place for you to stand.
So well stated Mary! But…surely…your husband was mistaken! 😉
My mom would say the quality is being ‘stubborn’ rather than being ‘difficult.’ I don’t like the word difficult, it just seems so … hard. You are a gentle soul and you stand up for what you believe in. Go Jane go, I say!
Christy…I like your mom’s way of thinking…reminds me of you! 😉