PURPOSE OF DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS

In his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," author Rick Warren writes about the purpose of relationships: Isolation breeds deceitfulness; it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature if there is no one there to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships.

How true! Often I hear from clients who have been hurt by others that they intend to heal their wounds by going into solitude. They don't want to be committed to anyone or anything so that they don't get hurt. Yet, relationships teach us about US. We can't learn such lessons by flying solo through life.

If you have a difficult person in your life right now and you feel like running, WAIT! Perhaps that person is in your life to teach you a valuable lesson about you. If you're not sure how to manage the relationship, I've developed a new resource for you. In my new e-seminar, Dealing with Difficult People: How to Protect Yourself From Professional Button Pushers, you'll learn how to set healthy boundaries, determine when to speak up (or not), and what to say. Living in isolation may be easier, but it's not the answer.