Is it just me or does it seem like the saying “pick your battles” has become a bit cliché over the years? While the saying may be a bit cliché in all honesty, it couldn’t be a wiser piece of advice!
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute. There is absolutely no way that we will be able to avoid frustrations, confrontations or challenges while strolling down our life paths.
However, we do not necessarily need to wrap ourselves around every negative thing or circumstance we may encounter in life. This is truly where the importance of that good old saying goes. You cannot avoid every problem in life but you can choose which ones you want to impact your life and what to get involved in as well as what to stay out of.
For example, you may have disagreements with your boss at times, in all honesty it’s probably a lot of the time. However, this is a time where you should seriously weigh out the possible consequences of confronting your boss compared to the possible good outcomes of saying what you really think.
While it may seem like a good idea at times to simply unload your true feelings on a person, it may possibly be a losing battle no matter how you approach it. A perfect example would be the boss situation from above. It is very rare that a person gets to confront their boss about something and still have a job the next day.
There are many other times where this principle applies. Sometimes in life it is just better to let the small stuff go and keep the bigger picture in sight.
As rough as it may be at times, sometimes we just have to bite the bullet.
While this may seem like something that is easier said than done, I assure you it is possible. However, I will not lie to you and tell you that it will always be easy.
Trust me, we are all humans and we have all experienced that burning desire to lash out at least once in our lives. However, those who act on those feelings hardly ever end up with any positive outcomes to show for it!
The process of learning to not sweat the small stuff can be difficult but there are some personal development techniques that can make it much easier.
The first technique that I would like to go over is positive self-talk. This personal development technique is rather simple. Basically, all it involves is replacing negative thinking patterns and spoken words into positive ones that enable you to improve yourself as a whole.
If you don’t feel like this technique works for you right away, don’t worry because that’s normal. It can be difficult to replace negative thoughts about others and ourselves, especially when those thoughts have been around and encouraged for long periods of time.
The longer you practice positive self-talk, the easier it will become to do and the more effective it will be.
Combining affirmations with positive self-talk is something you may want to consider doing. Affirmations are very similar to positive self-talk, except for the fact that affirmations are less generalized. They are geared toward specific things in life. For example, a good affirmation may be something like, “I will not let the little things get to me because I am strong” or “I will not let the obstacles of today get in the bigger picture down the road”.
Anger management may also be something you may want to consider. After all, our anger is often times what does not allow us to let the little things go. The funny thing about anger is the fact that, when we know how to channel and use it to our advantage, it can help us in life. In fact, it can be used as a motivator and a driving force.
However, on the other hand, anger can drag us down and basically smother us. In all honesty, how many times have you done something out of anger only to regret it later? If you are like most people, this has probably happened at least a handful of times in life. The worst part is, when we act in this way, we cause issues much larger than the small one we could have easily let go in the first place!
Think of the life we could all have if we just learned to not let little things get to us. While there will likely never be a world where all people have that mentality, each person who decides to head that direction is a start.
Letting the small stuff go will also likely help those around you. They do say that the best way to lead is by example. Therefore, the more you are able to pick and choose your battles, the more others will be able to as well!
To learn more about using personal development to better your life, click here.
