Your Rule Book

Whether you know it or not, you have a rule book for people in your life.
There is an unwritten set of rules of things you want people to do.

They usually don’t even know you have these requirements of them.

We get upset when they don’t give us the right gift.
Or like the same people we like.

We expect them to laugh the right amount, raise the children the way we were raised and know when we want to leave a party.
Or load the dishwasher the RIGHT WAY.

This rule book is thick.

Here’s the thing:

When other people don’t follow our rule book, we think it means they don’t love us. Or they don’t respect us.

But that is rarely the case.

Try this: Make a request.
For example, ask them to meet you at a certain time.

Then if they don’t honor the request, you take the responsibility for how you feel about it.

You can make it mean they are a horrible person.
Or you can make it mean that they aren’t there at the stated time.

Drama or no drama? 

It’s your choice.

And consider giving the rule book a break.
We could all use a break.