Is It Newsworthy?
Life can be pretty stressful, particularly around the holidays. Things can seem way out of proportion. So I decided to put into practice "the newsworthy test." Take your problem for the day. In your mind, or out loud, say it in a newscaster's voice. There is no other context in human interaction that a person could get away with such strange emphasis on words and timing as a newscaster. They just pick random words and sing them in the international newscaster's song.
So take this voice and state your problem. For example: "Susie's mom gave Susie explicit instructions not to touch the applesauce jar on the kitchen counter top. Susie is too young and not tall enough to successfully remove the jar without incident. This morning, at 7:48 am, Susie did not heed her mother's advice, and dropped the jar on the floor. There was applesauce everywhere!"
This is just an example, but if you read it like a newscaster, it sounds ridiculous! As do a lot of our problems when we put them in perspective.
Not that these little problems don't have any importance, or shouldn't dealt with, but is it really that necessary to get all bent out of shape (and possibly ruin someone's day, especially a loved one) with an over reaction?
From my own personal experience, given any given combination of sleep, food, or social deprivation, and life's problems can escalate rapidly. Whoever is a willing (or unwilling) recipient of my complaints or a direct target in the crossfire, is a very unlucky soul indeed. Sometimes I find myself in the middle of someone's "big problem", and have to either make a quick getaway or diffuse the situation promptly before anyone gets wounded. But misery loves company. There's days when someone will call and start to complain and I realize that I want to complain too!! Sometimes it's really fun. Which may or may not be constructive. But sometimes, just getting it out there in front of a neutral listener can be very effective.
I'm sure doing the process of the holidays, I will need to take my own advice and use my "newscaster test". It's a matter of survival at this time of year. Who knows, with less drama, I may even begin to relax and enjoy the holidays.
So take this voice and state your problem. For example: "Susie's mom gave Susie explicit instructions not to touch the applesauce jar on the kitchen counter top. Susie is too young and not tall enough to successfully remove the jar without incident. This morning, at 7:48 am, Susie did not heed her mother's advice, and dropped the jar on the floor. There was applesauce everywhere!"
This is just an example, but if you read it like a newscaster, it sounds ridiculous! As do a lot of our problems when we put them in perspective.
Not that these little problems don't have any importance, or shouldn't dealt with, but is it really that necessary to get all bent out of shape (and possibly ruin someone's day, especially a loved one) with an over reaction?
From my own personal experience, given any given combination of sleep, food, or social deprivation, and life's problems can escalate rapidly. Whoever is a willing (or unwilling) recipient of my complaints or a direct target in the crossfire, is a very unlucky soul indeed. Sometimes I find myself in the middle of someone's "big problem", and have to either make a quick getaway or diffuse the situation promptly before anyone gets wounded. But misery loves company. There's days when someone will call and start to complain and I realize that I want to complain too!! Sometimes it's really fun. Which may or may not be constructive. But sometimes, just getting it out there in front of a neutral listener can be very effective.
I'm sure doing the process of the holidays, I will need to take my own advice and use my "newscaster test". It's a matter of survival at this time of year. Who knows, with less drama, I may even begin to relax and enjoy the holidays.
This is the best thing I've read in a long time! I think this will help me so much! And not only that I think the laughter from hearing things in a newscaster voice will also help with stress! One thing that is newsworthy: That we haven't talked in so long. I miss you. We will talk soon for sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping remove some crazy out of my life. Goodness knows I need less crazy.
Love you and miss you!