Happy Sunday Afternoon - Lynn here.
Popping in to say hi, sharing a story about “emotional hide & seek” and an energy tip for your week ahead.
A few years ago, my husband and I hit a roadblock in our relationship and we got to a point that we needed to stop bypassing it.
My husband's a funny guy, his humor hooked me the first time we met. Humor has been the most gratifying and fun part of our bond with each other and our family.
But, after 32 years of marriage, the line between funny and passive-aggression had gotten a little fuzzy. We now label it the “grey” area. It's the code word that we came up with when we're heading into touchy territory.
I don’t like the label “passive-aggressive” because I find that most people who behave this way are trying to be funny, are unaware they’re doing it, and don’t realize the emotional impact they’re having on the other person,
I prefer the term “friendly fire” because I think for the most part it is friendly, it's just wrapped up with feelings that are difficult to express when someone needs to tell the truth.
It's quite common in close relationships.
It’s like playing a game of emotional hide-and-seek, where the players hide their true feelings and communicate with subtle jabs and snarky remarks.
I think most of us can admit that we've behaved in a passive-agressive way at one time or another.
For my husband, some of his teasing was his way of avoiding conflict and being honest with his feelings.
Let's face it, we've all dealt with passive-aggressive behavior at some point. From the co-worker who sends snarky emails to the friend who makes backhanded compliments, it's frustrating and confusing.
It’s important to stop and wonder why people act this way? Is it their nature or is there something deeper going on?
As it turns out, passive-aggressive behavior often stems from a need to protect our ego.
The ego is a necessary part of ourselves. Without it, we couldn’t function in society or make decisions. So instead of trying to silence it, let’s get familiar with it and do our best not to let it run the show.
I've learned from my own healing and working with clients, making peace with our ego is probably the most important thing we can do for our physical and mental health. If we can lighten up, and not take ourselves so seriously and have fun with it, we can make peace with it.
Plus, we might just end up with a few good jokes along the way.
Here’s a recent article I wrote that got published on Medium.com. I think it’s a good one!
I'd be so grateful if you would click, read, comment or like my article below to give it a little magic with the algorithm so it makes its way to more readers.
Love + Wellness to you!
Xo
Lynn
