Posted: 4/22/2014 | Personal Development	Comments
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Someone said the other day that they were having “emotional allergies” to a certain situation. So I thought about that for a while.

Yes, there are folks with certain behaviors we might not be fond of and always remember we can pick and choose who we spend time with. But treating a certain behavior that someone engages in like an allergy doesn't seem to accurately fit. It’s equating an external irritant like pollen, to what someone did that felt emotionally irritating to you.

If you’re irritated by someone’s action or words, the issue might lie within you. I'm sure there are some culturally-based negative behaviors that many of us would find offensive and difficult to be around. However, if we have a strong judgment about and reaction to someone, then those feelings are ours to process.

We can have boundaries around certain behaviors we will and will not tolerate, but I would invite you to see what that “allergy” is all about from your past. Why is this situation feeling so difficult for you?

Learning what someone’s behavior brings up for you, and how to soften your reaction to it, will give you freedom from having to avoid a situation or run the other way. You’ll still choose who fits you best, but if you’re stuck with Uncle Bill at a family dinner, you won’t have to feel so miserable.   

How have you dealt with your emotional allergies? How have they become easier?

Please share. Your comments make a difference for us all.

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