Problems - You Know What to Do But You Don't Do It

Crying on a loved ones shoulder, calling people up to help you, reading articles, and commenting on YouTube videos, and yet you still are in the mess that you are in!  Some people have warned that if you keep doing what you are doing, things will only get worse.  Others have turned a deaf ear to you and no longer want to hear about your problems. 


You spend much time thinking about how to solve a problem or many, but what might be one of your biggest frustrations is not having the will to implement what you have learned.  At first you are delighted with the suggestions and feel empowered with all the knowledge, but a day or two later you fight with what you are not doing and what you should do.  The side of your brain that convinces you not to do something because it is new, different, cost money, and you don't know how others might respond, seems to always win.


Here is yet another bit of advice to help with defeating this hesitation within to avoid solving your issues.


1.  Reflect back on how you got in the mess that you are currently in and what could you have done differently.  What is in your power now to make some changes?  Back when issues first started, you may have had limitations and felt the need to rely on someone or something, is there still that same need or can you do some things on your own?  If so, then start working toward doing them independently without calling a relative or friend to validate everything you are or aren't doing.


2.  Forget what someone or the group told you to hinder progress.  "What if" statements and "You should" phrases with selfish motives will only keep you doing what you don't want to do.  For instance, a man makes an announcement that he no longer wants to keep working a certain position in the church and he really feels led by God to do something different.  If he is determined, no amount of persuasion or enticements is going to keep him where he knows he is no longer called to be.  He recognizes that his time of service in a certain position has a limit.  Do you know when you should step down, move out, relocate, or start something new?  If you are a believer, have you been taking the time to pray and meditate on holy scriptures or have you been doing your own thing lately?  Spend 20 minutes a day focused on your prayer life and receiving a word from your Creator while you take baby steps to get things done you know you should. 


3.  Notice the signs around you that warn you about your life.  Just as there are road signs that tell us not to turn, to yield, to stop, and more, what are your life warning signs telling you these days?  Is it health issues every time you eat a certain thing?  Is there a desire to learn something that you keep putting off?  Are there people around you that are trying to help, but you keep telling them, "I can do it...I will be okay."  Sometimes people looking on the outside in, know more about our situations when it comes to self, love, work, and play, then we do.  When do you stop making excuses and get to work on you while removing bad habits that are hindering progress?


4.  Create your to-do list and post it somewhere so that you can see it everyday.  If there is a project, item, or something else that needs to come out of a closet, garage, attic, storage, or somewhere else, take it out, clean it up, and start doing something with it.  Tackle the to-do list one day at a time. 


5.  Cut out and cut off distractions.  Think about this, if you had an emergency situation, would you want someone who could help you continue to play a video game, watch TV, surf the Internet, work long hours at a job, or talk on the phone?  So why are you doing these things to yourself?  Make an appointment with yourself to get things done.  Will you start every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday or daily between the hours of 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., during a lunch hour or 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.? 


6.  Encourage yourself to achieve accomplishments by surrounding yourself around like-minded people, visit places that can help you meet goals, and seek useful tools that will also assist you with getting things done!  What have you been missing out on that you should have been buying or doing?


7.  Don't let anyone or anything take all your money.  Designate a portion to go toward the things that you need to solve your problems.  What might those be?  For instance, if counseling is needed, a class, a tutor, babysitter, or legal assistance, then create a fund for your specific need.  Do you have a separate bank account or an envelope system to tend to your needs?  Don't borrow from it and don't tell others about it who can't help you contribute to that fund.  Also, seek out free products and services as well.


Now that you have seven more pieces of advice, don't put off what you could do now, address the issues in your life sooner rather than later!  Remember, think about the issues, note solutions, create your to-do list, make any necessary connections to people, places and things that will help you solve your problems while leaving the naysayers, enablers, and ignorant behind!


Nicholl McGuire has authored When Mothers Cry, Know Your Enemy: The Christian's Critic, Laboring to Love Myself, and Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate as well as other books.

On Delusional Family Members Creating False Stories

You may have a few in your family that love exaggerating, lying, changing or omitting factual details to keep from people finding out any truth about them.  For instance, a man breaks up with his ex, he desires to make a good impression on a new lover; therefore, he will be careful about what he says about how he and his ex broke up.  He may tell his lover that it was due to repeated disagreements, that she couldn't get over what he did in the past, or there were often disputes about family, money, faith, or politics. 


Whatever the stories the former lover chooses to share, one will never really know the truth especially if he or she has never talked with the ex.  Now take this example and think about delusional family members.  These fantasy-filled people create worlds within and around them that appear to look righteous, peaceful, and prosperous while ignoring the reality around them.  They will be careful about presenting anything that might make the family look bad.  They are often braggadocios and either compare their lifestyles to others or look down on people who don't have much.  So if you were to have a disagreement with a delusional relative or many in a group, they most likely will shut you down in such a way that you will not be considered trustworthy or a credible witness. 


A person with a false image of family will work hard to make it appear as if everyone loves each other, there is no wrong-doing, and God's favor is upon them.  Those who have grown up with these people, know better.  For example, a praying grandmother turns out to be nothing more than a liar and a cheat.  A so-called hard-working grandfather is really nothing more than a hustler.  A sweet aunt turns out to be a seductress and adulterer.  A fun cousin is not the nice guy you once knew, but really the family drunk.  A rich uncle is really a poor pedophile.


These family members with false images and carefully crafted family stories are not worth disputing with.  Truth has a way of coming out in many forms including on the Internet for starters!  You will find yourself increasingly angry with them if you boldly confront them while they repeatedly deny what you know as fact.  In your quest for truth, you might find yourself doing and saying things about that person that might make others form a negative judgment about you.  People like this who live in a fantasy world, you must play cool.  As much as you would like to present the real you, free of facades and compromises when dealing with these types, the reality is it won't be beneficial to start a protest or campaign against those individuals without family members backing you up as well as much evidence to prove truth. 


Wishy-washy relatives who don't mind liars and manipulators in the family will most likely not stand for truth.  These folks, who stay quiet or take a middle of the road stance about family issues, usually don't have much morals and are nonchalant about major issues.  The have an attitude like, "Keep me out of this...I don't know about that and don't want to talk about it...don't ask me...I can't recall."  This can be frustrating when you are trying to get a point across that some individuals could have supported you on when confronting these delusional relatives, but chose not to while creating more family division.


The wrong time to approach these liars is during the holiday family gatherings, if you must, better to take the drama out of view or the liar might win sympathy from witnesses.  Some relatives are deceptive enough to try to draw you into a family fight in an effort to prove lies they have told or heard.  For instance, the man who was used in the previous example wanting to make a good impression on his new lover, if he would be in the presence of an ex, he would use her weaknesses to prove a point.  But he couldn't do it without triggering events.  So maybe he might bring up something from the past that would anger the ex or say something unkind behind closed doors so that she would react to him in a negative way once in public.  Then he would say to witnesses, "See what I had to go through being with her?"  His attempt at making himself look righteous just might go over well with those who already don't like the ex.


When advisers warn you, ignore trouble-makers or don't feed into what they say, they are doing well by giving you this kind of advice.  However, there will be those times where one must speak up and tell truth.  You can do this without being emotional, confrontational or belittling.  Simply state what you know like you would if you were seated in an office with a boss.  Once the information is out, people can do what they want with it.  But the more emotional you become when presenting facts about family members, the more likely you will say or do something that you might later regret.


Nicholl McGuire provides insightful spiritual video at YouTube channel: nmenterprise7.  Also, check out her book, Know Your Enemy: The Christians Critic.

What is Paranoid Personality Disorder? (Mental Health Guru)

Is someone in your family often suspicious of others?  Thinking that relatives and family friends are up to something, they may tell others of their suspicions.  They are often accusing people of stealing something, planning to do something to harm them, or they believe that some around them are enemies.  These paranoid types will draw you into their imagined scenarios of what they think someone might be up to.  Although you may tell them that you don't believe that the accused would say or do something like what they are suggesting, they will insist that they believe otherwise.

Sometimes much proof must be provided in order to counter the paranoid person's personal beliefs.  Even with proof, these people will remain adamant about their suspicions.  If a small issue comes up with someone they believe is an enemy, they will blow the situation up while recruiting others to go along with their programming.  They will take on an attitude of, "I told you so."  Despite facts, the paranoid person who believes that there are people out to get him or her will not back down from lies and exaggerations they have conjured up about others. 

The best solution in dealing with people like this is the following: don't share personal details about your life, avoid being alone with them, record conversations if necessary, and whenever possible distance yourself if you notice the paranoid person is acting nervous, telling false stories, or accusing others of things that are untrue.  Politely excuse yourself and go about your business.  Most individuals like this, don't believe that they have any mental disorder.

Nicholl McGuire shares personal experiences on Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate blog, click here.

Unhappy with Relatives?

They know how to rub you the wrong way.  You have observed your family for years do all sorts of things to get what they want when they want it.  You might be one of many who is tired of having to deal with their irresponsible decision-making, challenging mental and/or physical illnesses, and more.  Some of you reading this might be thinking, "Why was I born into this messed up family?"


Once you have reached the place in your life where you draw the line in the sand, so to speak, and refuse to put up with others' dysfunctions, you have truly arrived into adulthood.  Boy men and girl women, terms I use to describe men and women who have yet to grow up, will act like children.  These needy people are still concerned about what others think, they don't take a stand, and are unhappy when they don't get their way even when their wants are not in the best interest of self or those involved.  The less you have to deal with the immature, who refuse correction, the better!


Whether you are reading this during a holiday season or not, know that you have a choice, you can either focus on those negative relatives who love being on your radar or you can choose to ignore them and connect with people who are positive.  Relatives who make you unhappy need a time-out.  We should never force ourselves to do anything with these people that we don't want to do--never!  It doesn't matter if there is a blood tie or not.  When something is rude, crazy, disgusting, or wicked, it would make sense to feel all sorts of negative emotions about what a relative or relatives is up to.  But trouble-making people, will do almost anything to convince you that what they say or do is right and your reaction to it is wrong.  Distance yourself!  The mind games are unnecessary when you know deep in your heart that someone is wrong.


The good news is these seasons of family unhappiness are temporal depending on the offense.  Other times they can seem like forever.  Depending on the length of time you allow yourself to be unhappy with these people will affect your personality and how you treat others, so it is best to work to snap out of feelings of disappointment and seek healthy happiness elsewhere.  Healthy happiness are the things that don't cost a lot, won't make you sick, won't put you in jail, or cause further unhappiness.


So I close with this, wishing you joy and peace during this time of family storms.  May you be blessed with the desires of your heart!


Nicholl McGuire shares insightful audio/video at YouTube channel: nmenterprise7
  

Face Your Foe: On Confronting the Liar

Face Your Foe: On Confronting the Liar: You hear that someone has either lied about something, lied on you, or is planning to tell a lie.  You know that this person has a shady pas...

How Substance Abuse and Alcoholism Affects the Family - Reach Recovery

Why Put Children in the Care of Mentally Unstable Relatives?

Why Put Children in the Care of Mentally Unstable Relatives?

Holiday Travel Tips on Hallmark Home & Family with Carolyn Scott-Hamilton

Self-Centered Relatives, Materialistic, Greedy...Holiday Get-Togethers

Two Topics: Christian YouTubers and Holiday Challenges...And This Too S...

Christian Friendships - Commentary on Selecting Quality Friends

Doubtful about Celebrating Holidays with Relatives?

So the invitation to come celebrate the Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's holidays with people that may or may not be a part of your bloodline has been offered.  Yet, you are hesitant about attending.  There are good reasons to stay home like peace and quiet for starters and your mind will come up with many more, but there are also good reasons to be at one or all of these events especially if you have any of the following: a small business, large family, not much money, unresolved issues, and feelings of loneliness and depression not excluding suicidal thoughts.

Attending a family event just might be very beneficial to you if the pros outweigh the cons. 

1.  Networking opportunities.

Whether you are unemployed, interested in starting a new business, or doing more with a hobby, attending a family event is a great way to test an idea, learn something new, and establish potential contacts/customers/investors.  Remember, many successful businesses were built based on who owners knew that could help them.  Who does your family and friends know?

2.  Receive updates from relatives and family friends straight from them.

Why bother to keep getting stories about your family members through others when you can see how they are doing for yourself?  This might also be a good time to clear up some rumors too.

3.  Unexpected gifts and surprises.

You never know what seeing someone you haven't been around in a long time might do to that person.  There could be a blessing right around the corner coming from a favorite relative and you don't even know it.  So take those phone numbers offered to you and use them.

4.  Free food.

If you don't feel like cooking or your refrigerator and snack cabinet doesn't look so great, why not eat somewhere else?  Stay for awhile then take some leftovers home for the next day.

5.  The possibility of meeting someone new.

Singles, relatives just might bring friends.  If so, take advantage of the opportunity.

6.  Squash old issues.

What better time then to show up to a family event with a huge smile on your face, emotions high, and happy to be around relatives?  You can use this good time to squeeze in a few "I apologize" statements and "I love you, so glad to see you."  If you owe someone money, bring some, if not all the cash you borrowed.  If you asked for their items to use and never returned them, gather them up and take the products to that person.

7.  Meet new relatives.

Far too many people take meeting new relatives lightly, but knowing one's relatives is important.  It can be very easy to connect with someone who you didn't know was a relative while dating.  Oftentimes, people miss out on great opportunities because they didn't know that they had an aunt, cousin or some other relative working somewhere.

So if you are doubtful about celebrating the holidays due to any number of reasons, try to talk yourself out of the negative self-talk.  Stop by to see relatives if only but an hour or two if you live close by.  Even if the welcome is dismal and not much is going on, consider this, life is too short and if someone died tomorrow, at least you can say, "I made the effort to see him/her--no guilty conscious here!"

If you can't make it to see relatives, at least give them a courtesy call, explain your situation, and wish them well.

Nicholl McGuire shares audio/video on YouTube channel: nmenterprise7.