Difficult people

( Let me preface this by saying that I realize that MY definition of a difficult person is probably totally different than your definition, and that I realize that I am considered a difficult person to some people)

I have never been a fan of people who are difficult

Some are difficult on purpose

Some are difficult so they can get their own way

Some are difficult just because that is who they are

I have never really known HOW to deal with someone who is difficult, no matter their "reason" for being difficult

For a long time, I would eat

I would bottle up my feelings inside and go out of my way to not deal with them

I have decided to do things a bit differently now

I have decided to look at people who are difficult as a blessing

WHAT???

Yep, a blessing

I have been trying VERY HARD to change the way I look at things and have a better outlook on life

For me, looking at someone who is difficult as a blessing has helped me change myself 

When I see someone who is being difficult (often bullying!), I say to myself 

"Thank-you. Thank-you for being a great example to me of who I don't want to be"

When I was telling someone about it they really didn't get my point of view

I didn't expect them to, it was just my point of view

But as I watched this situation unfold, saw how MAD, frustrated, hurt, upset the person who was being treated unfairly became, I knew that I had made a choice that was good for me

I had not wasted my time, energy, attention and focus was not lifted from my priorities because of this person acting the way they were

Instead I took the way they were treating me and others and made a pact with myself 

That I would never treat others as they had treated us