Think of the person who drives you crazy

Every day, I walk through my house and find socks.

On the floor. By the couch. Next to the stairs. Often littered around the hamper.

And every day, I am somehow surprised by this.

I have four kids. They have been remarkably consistent in their approach to socks for years.

And yet, apparently, I am still waiting for my children to all of a sudden have a deep love for putting socks away 🤷‍♀️

It reminds me of something I've loved for a long time from Pema Chödrön.

She talks about the difficult people in our lives as our "gurus" - our teachers.

Some of our greatest teachers are the people who challenge us in everyday life.

Your irritating coworker.

Your difficult boss.

Your partner.

Your mother.

Your kids.

Not because they're right.

But because they show us where we still get stuck.

Where we want to control.

Where we need to speak up.

Where we could let go.

Where we might need to stop waiting for someone to be different ✨

✨ I N S P I R E

“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.” - Pema Chödrön

✨ T H R I V E

5 things difficult people might be here to teach you:

1️⃣ The person who questions your decisions → SELF-TRUST

You don't always need to convince them you're right.

Ask: Would I still feel good about this decision if they never agreed with me?

2️⃣ The person who keeps asking too much → BOUNDARIES

Maybe the answer isn't getting them to stop asking.

Maybe it's getting more comfortable saying no.

Ask: What would I say if I weren't worried about disappointing them?

3️⃣ The person who does things completely differently than you → LETTING GO

Different doesn't always mean wrong.

Ask: Is this actually a problem, or just not how I would do it?

4️⃣ The person who keeps doing the SAME irritating thing → ACCEPTANCE

At some point, we have to stop being surprised by who someone has consistently shown us they are.

Ask: Am I waiting for them to become someone they've never been?

5️⃣ The person who crosses a line → SPEAKING UP

Sometimes keeping the peace comes at your own expense.

Ask: What needs to be said that I keep avoiding?

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You don't have to like the teacher to learn something from them.

You may never change them.

But you can always decide who you want to be around them ✨

Who is one of your greatest "teachers" right now - and what are they teaching you?

Hit reply and tell me. I read every response ❤️

Have a great week friends,

Carolyn

✨ FURTHER READING

The 90-Second Rule That Can Save Your Career (and Relationships): A simple way to pause before reacting when someone gets under your skin.

Most People Think Setting Boundaries Makes You Difficult: How to protect your time and energy without the guilt or endless explaining.

A 10-Second Shift That Saves You Hours of Stress Later: A small mindset shift for approaching difficult interactions with more steadiness and empathy.

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