Happy Thanksgiving!
Whether you are hostessing or just showing up to eat, before you dive into the food or conversation, I wanted to give a few communication tips to help your day go smoother. I will keep it short so you can get going!
4 Ways to Have A Drama Free Thanksgiving
1. Resist one up-ping.
If someone is bragging about their kids, home, job, etc., let them. Resist trying to jump in the mix with your own story of how fabulous you are. If you are fabulous, you don’t have to brag about it. Enjoy the story or go get some more pie. Just don’t give in.
2. Pray for the people you dislike.
Whether it is a strong dislike or just a mild irritation, pray for that face you are imagining right now as you read this. I don’t mean pray that God will rain fire from heaven to wipe them out. No. Instead, get quiet, and ask God how you can genuinely pray. If you dislike them, you probably only see their flaws. But they have good qualities as well, I am sure of it. Thank God, out loud, for their strengths and pray for their weaknesses. It is difficult to stay angry when you pray for them.
3. Give thanks with words.
Having a thankful heart is great. Speaking or sharing your thankful heart is even better. Do the people in your life know how grateful you are for them? How would they if you don’t tell them. Give the people in your life thanks. It is so simple we forget to say it. They need to hear it just as much as you need to say it.
4. Schedule your conflict.
We all have seen the family gatherings where a fight breaks out. Poor Aunt Sophie spent all that time preparing to host and you and your brother go at it in front of everyone?!?! No! This may seem the weirdest tip, but it might the most important. Schedule your conflict. Set a time either mentally or put it on the calender for when you will confront that person. Having it scheduled will help release the pent up frustration of wondering when that awkward conversation is going to happen. It also gives you time to prepare. Holidays are full of elevated emotion. Keep your peace by scheduling your conflict.
Which one of these tips are you going to use to have a drama free holiday?
