How well do you handle life's challenges?

I don’t get angry easily. I have a strong sense of boundaries, and work hard at maintaining good will with others. However, there are a lot of folks out there who are big time drama queens, and sometimes you just have to trudge through such encounters without buying into their drama.

When I was in my 20’s I used to get angry on purpose. I had so much emotional baggage, I found the adrenaline helped me to focus my mind. Then after a while I ended up living with a very abusive and controlling person. I was in a constant state of suppressed rage. Oh, and I was a huge drama queen, so I created a lot of my problems all by myself!

All those are memories now; God has restored my mind.

Change I’m pretty good with. Unfairness, greed, bad health, I’m not so good with. Often those things are coupled together, but I think they are very separate. I don’t like being told I can’t handle change well when I have something really shitty happening to me. I say no, I don’t handle unscrupulous behavior well. I don’t handle being in pain and not being able to do all the same activities well.

I get through fighting tooth and nail but I am not very accepting. I will complain, curse my fate and the universe and act as if all the planet’s unfairness and injustice has been loaded onto my shoulders! I am NOT a competent handler of things!

Well, I surprised myself by handling the challenges of the last three years with a lot of courage (and some tears.) I have never faced chronic illness or serious poverty though so I can’t say how well I’d do with those.

If we are being totally honest here, I do get angry and/ or frustrated a little easily. I think I need to work on my ability to acknowledge my own feelings underneath and focis on right-now-problems.

I no longer either worry or get angry. Reflecting back on my life, those two emotions have never been helpful. It now seems effortless to avoid them.

I try not to worry, but when I feel like I just want to let go or not care, I get into this strange depressive, zombie like state. It’s the only way I can cope. I already made my mistakes, so I guess I’ll drag myself to work and keep digging out. Hopefully by the time I get there I won’t be a completely bitter and passive aggressive alcoholic lol.