Have you taken something another person said to you personally? I am certain that everyone of us has experienced that at some time. I surely have done it. It is a rather common struggle in relationships. Our self-esteem gets hooked and we respond from our emotional vulnerability. Here is a useful tip to remember: treat everything that comes to you from the outside as something you have to cope with and not as a way to define yourself.
Here is an example. Your partner says something to you and you internally feel criticized. If you react from that feeling you are giving your spouse the power to define you. However it you look at the statement as something to cope with you will respond differently. You will make use of your thinking part and decide for yourself if what “hurt your feelings” applies to you or not. When you decide what is right for you you will feel empowered.
By strengthening our foundation we are growing our feelings of self worth. The better we feel about ourselves the easier it becomes to communicate clearly with others. When we do not get emotionally hooked it becomes much easier to resolve differences.
