My momma has always told me....

Oh my goodness, if I had a nickel for everytime I heard that phrase when I was a child, I'd be a rich woman right now. What I learned as an adult that just because you have something to say that may not be very easy for someone else to hear doesn't necessarily mean you have nothing good to say. If something or someone is getting on your very last nerve, sometimes the best thing to do is remove yourself from the situation or get away from the person so that you don't end up saying something out of anger. Angry words, once out of your mouth, cannot be taken back and can end up being hurtful. Instead, take a few minutes to breathe, then deal with the person/situation in an assertive manner, such as, "When this happens, I feel _____ or When I hear this being said, it upsets me, and therefore I will not participate in any further conversations with you about it." Or something along those lines. Psychological studies have shown that holding in anger won't necessarily lead to an explosion of anger on another person, but if we feel victimized or otherwise put upon by one person because we have nothing nice to say to that person, we usually end up taking out our frustrations on others, mostly those whom we love the most and who judge us the least. Just a different perspective on a common issue with many people. Happy posting.