When we make the decision to resign from whatever role we’re playing in our difficult person’s drama, the storyline can turn quickly to melodrama. When we decide to set boundaries and find balance, the excuses for why we shouldn’t can pop up like weeds in a garden.
My brother made some bad spending choices this past month, but he’s promised to do better, I’m just going to help him out a little one more time…
My husband had a really bad childhood and that’s why he …
I told my neighbor she can’t drop by every day to visit, but I feel bad when she …
My dad has had a rough year, he didn’t mean to hit my mom, it was an accident…
Mom never had much when she was a kid, I can’t fault her for wanting a few nice things, she doesn’t mean to overspend…
My boss is under a lot of stress, she doesn’t mean to yell…
Can you think of any excuses that frequently come into play when it comes to your relationships with the difficult people in your life?
There are so many different excuses for why we live in bondage to poor choices, difficult people, and challenging situations and circumstances. Yet as different as the excuses are, many begin with the same two words—two words we need to remove from our vocabulary—“I can’t.”
Excerpt from Setting Boundaries with Difficult People, (c) 2011, Harvest House, Eugene, Oregon