Last Thursday Miriam shared with us her most recent presentation entitled “ Don’t do Stupid S*#t! 

Miriam began by sharing the story of the 15 year old and his friends who were having a sleepover and decided to take the Tic-Toc Benadryl challenge. As one of these teens almost ended up in the ICU, this story really hit home with Miriam. As she has a Son of her own, this story made her stop and think. Maybe we all need to try and be that person that someone else can call when they’re in a similar situation?  Learn to look for opportunities to be there for those you care about. 

Miriam shared that she is not immune to doing stupid things. Nor is she immune to being a difficult person. 

One question to consider, what if I am the difficult person? In any situation, there will always be someone who is the most difficult. 

Miriam shared with us the importance of Emotional intelligence…which is the ability to manage your own emotions and to understand the emotions of the people around you. If we don’t try and learn this skill, we can be more difficult in social situations. 

So, in what ways can we be less difficult? 

– try to go with the flow.  If plans change at the last minute, think it through. Pause for a moment and try to be aware of your negative thoughts. Be open to new ideas.  

-try not to personalize everything . 

– if someone else succeeds, it doesn’t mean that you have failed.

– remember, everything is not about you

– learn to manage your stress, maybe try meditation 

– express your difficult emotions, and try learning to express them, rather than holding them in

– try to not be accusatory with someone you disagree with. Learn to find common ground with that person.

–  be more proactive. When you communicate with others, be assertive but respectful at the same time. When you communicate, try and watch your body language. 

– learn to bounce back from adversity. Try and make yourself more vulnerable, and maybe learn from your mistakes. We have to learn to be more honest about who we are. 

Text messages..when texting and before you respond, take a breath. Try and think about what someone may have actually meant when they sent you that text you don’t like. Think next time before you hit the send button! 

Don’t try to read other people’s mind. Assume others have great intentions, be kind, and try and de escalate the situation if needed. 

If many people begin to think that you are difficult, maybe you really need to step back and take a look at yourself. What were you really trying to accomplish with what you said? Are you truly being the difficult one? 

And above all…smile!  A smile goes a long way!