18 Comments
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Selene's avatar

For me, my parents are the most difficult people to deal with. I’ve been working on myself for a long time, and it’s very hard to find peace of mind and resolve the issues. I understand them and feel their emotions, but I don’t get the freedom I wish for. I guess with a toxic upbringing, it takes more time and effort to heal—maybe it’s another level of difficulty 😉. Do you have any advice on this? Thank you for writing about such a relatable topic ✨.

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you for sharing your story here. Really appreciate that. For me the key to overcome this is to identify that I am not my mind and I am not my thoughts. Whenever I interact with difficult people or recalled any memories with difficult people, I acknowledge that I am not my thoughts. So whatever the thoughts say, that doesn't define who I am. I wrote an article about it here https://stressfreeliving.substack.com/p/you-are-not-you I am happy to discuss more if you have any questions.

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Baburaj Mukkat's avatar

Hi.. Sorry to say labelling someone "difficult' depends on perspective...

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Doreen Flair's avatar

I’m a new subscriber by the way. I love your posts

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you. Just subscribed back. Let's stay connected.

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Doreen Flair's avatar

Thank you for subscribing. Looking forward to that

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Doreen Flair's avatar

This is so profound.

I learnt something new this week; in order for you not take things personal with difficult people is either to know that it’s not about you or take empathy on yourself and move on.

Thank you this means a lot 👏

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you very much for your kind words, Doreen. Let's learn and grow together!

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Sean Mize's avatar

This is a powerful article, and poignant for me right now

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you for your kind words, Sean. Really appreciate your support.

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Sean Mize's avatar

you are worth it :-)

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Harmony Kuzipa's avatar

Asking for clarity.

Isn't it best sometimes to go against such people?, if everytime we meet them, and decide to isolate them from interaction with us are we not taking the eaiser path and ignoring something that is off in a person.

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you for sharing your perspective! You’re right—there are times when addressing someone’s behavior directly is necessary. My aim in the article was to highlight the importance of managing our own emotions first, so we approach such situations with clarity rather than frustration. It’s about finding a balance between addressing issues and maintaining our own peace of mind. What are your thoughts on how we can find that balance? I'd love to hear more about your perspective.

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Harmony Kuzipa's avatar

I think one of the ways is waiting for your emotions to settle(3 inner breaths) when you feel overwhelmed by interacting someone"like how you wait for the water to settle", wait to get your emotions settled then react to the situatiom

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you for sharing this, Harmony. You are right, I should have put this part in the article where there are times when addressing someone’s behavior directly is necessary. it's not okay to deal with toxic people every day.

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@mindset&mythos's avatar

I remember the times I've dealt with difficult people and how I could have handled it differently.

I like that you mention Resistance also. I first came across it in Stephen Pressfield's book, and though he was writing about art, Resistance manifests everywhere and can be handled in the same way.

Great writing and useful ideas.

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Sikieng Sok's avatar

Thank you for always stopping by. 🙏

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@mindset&mythos's avatar

Good night 💤

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