I don’t think I’m always so easy to live with but I do strive to be. Here are what I believe are to be the top ways to be easy to live with:
- Serve – Mike and I serve each other. He can only bring me coffee in bed in the morning a certain number of times before I can’t let him do it any more and I get up earlier and rush off to the kitchen to put the coffee on. Mike certainly does his fair share of home labour. We decided we didn’t need home help and so the two of us both have to dig in to keep the house relatively straight!
- Don’t Complain – I think it takes practice to not complain in such a negative world. There is often a lot to complain about. This is one I’m always working on in one way or another…
- Be their biggest fan. Whoever you live with, spouse, parents, children, grandparents – your whole family…Be their biggest fan. If you aren’t their biggest fan, who will be. Be the champion encourager. This is most important in a marriage and as a parent. If you are not their biggest fan, who will be? You don’t want your children becoming dependent on encouragement from outside the house. You want to try to encourage at least ten times to every one time you have to correct. Praise the good every time. I didn’t know this so well when I was parenting. If I could turn the clock back and try it again I would. The one thing I do remember doing was saying ‘yes’ as often as I could so when I said ‘no’ my children knew it was really because it wasn’t possible. Being the biggest fan makes you easier to live with.
- Listen. I don’t know if a large part of the breakdown of family and marriage these days is because there is not enough listening going on. We are a technology obsessed society. Our screens are usually right in front of our faces, absorbing our time and attention. I was reading something on-line the other day while Mike was talking to me. He was telling me he was going to the driving range. I was completely absorbed by what I was reading on my cell phone and didn’t respond to him at all. Suddenly, I heard him say, “bye I’ll see you later!” I rushed downstairs to say goodbye to him. I am so guilty of this. I’m beginning to try to make a point of putting down what I’m doing when Mike has something to say and giving him my full attention.
Yes, that will make me easier to live with.
Good goals to have.
#628 of my 1000 thanks is for my big computer monitor. How easy it makes my work. I appreciate it. 🙂
1 Peter 2:20
If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
These are the days.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gym:
- 5km – 34:04
- Swam – 40 lengths