by Christine Kane
One of the hardest things I ever had to admit was that I was a total drama queen. And one of the best things I ever did was togive up my crown and step down from that throne.That's because drama - with all of its he-said-she-said, self-righteous anger, gossip, and done-me-wrong stories - is one big MAJOR distraction. It pulls our attention away from our dreams.
Many of us were taught that if we don't get hooked into everyone else's drama, then we lack compassion. We're cold. We're mean. We're taught that emotion and drama are inseparable.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Emotion is the feeling, or energy, that moves through us. Drama is the thoughts and the hooks that create stories and reel other people into them. Drama steals our time.
Like the excess clutter that fills our closets and shelves, we can just simply let the drama go.
Becoming drama-free is more about creating space than anything else. Space for better thoughts. Space for clarity. Space for taking conscious action toward our dreams.
So, here's 5 ways to make your life a drama-free zone so that you, too, can have the perfect, abundant, spacious life you've always wanted.
1 - Bring awareness to your reactions
Being a Drama-Queen requires one thing and one thing ONLY: Unconsciousness.
To shift your dramatic tendencies, start by becoming aware of your own reactions.
Though it can be tempting to point at all the drama-queens around you, start within you first. See clearly what hooks you, what compels you to gossip, what makes you judgmental of others.
Most of our unhappiness comes from one thing: our judgment.
So, where do you paint life situations with your self-righteousness or judgment? Where do you collapse because you judge yourself so harshly? Where do you want people to behave differently so that you can behappy or successful?
(And why not go ahead and just be happy and successful anyway?)
2 - Think R.O.I.
R.O.I. is "Return on Investment."
Every time you give your energy and your time to something, you are investing in it. You are, in essence,voting for it.
An entrepreneur thinks in terms of "returns" on investments. When you engage in gossip, whininess, self-righteousness, explaining yourself - you are literally getting no return on your investment. (Except fatigue!)
Your energy is your investment. So is your time. Ask yourself throughout the day, "What am I voting for here? What kind of return will I get on this activity?"
3 - Proactive communication
Melanie, a college professor, was expected to visit her family in Detroit every Christmas.
Melanie told me that she just wanted to take the holiday for self-care and reflection after a grueling semester. She didn't want to travel!
I encouraged Creative Communication.
Rather than waiting for her usual sense of frustration to arrive in November (Reactive Communication), Melanie made calls in August to let her family know that she had other plans for the holidays.
She discovered that she was able to speak more clearly and compassionately because she chose to be proactive and creative. She never once got dramatic!
Creative Communication means that you communicate when the emotional charge of the situation has passed, or has not yet arrived!
4 - Regular Exercise
There's a reason that everyone from doctors to trainers tell us to get our heart-rates up for at least 20-minutes a day. Exercise uplevels our mental health, our emotional health AND our physical health.
In other words, the more you increase your heart-rate, the more you decrease your drama!
5 - When Drama Strikes, Ask Three questions
Here are three powerful questions to ask yourself in the face of drama:
(1) What's my story here?
This is what you tell yourself in your head. "If I don't, then no one will." "I'm unworthy." "No one recognizes the good I do." "These people are idiots!" This is your "story." You probably know it well!
(2) Who would I be without this story?
Imagine that an angel surgeon comes into the room, and surgically removes that story from your head. You can't find it no matter how hard you try. Who would you be without that story? What does it feel like to move forward without it?
(3) How do I WANT to feel?So, when you remind yourself how you WANT to feel, you offer yourself a more empowered option than the drama. Even if you can't get there right away, make sure you know that this is where you can be if you choose it.
You always have a choice. But it's easier to MAKE the choice when you know your options!
