Have you ever thought of designing a life that suits you, especially your family life? A family is like a Christmas package; there are some stuff in the package that you like and some that you don’t like. Yet, you have to accept what you have. To enjoy your life and your family relationships, you need to know what you can control and let go of what you cannot.
Here are some tips to help you:
- Be grateful. Be grateful for your family no matter how imperfect it is. Focus on the goodness of each family member.
- Change your thinking. There are things you cannot change about your family. Learn to accept each member as he or she is. Change the way you deal with your parents, siblings, and members of your extended family.
- Respond instead of react, especially when everyone is high-strung. Be conscious of your emotions so you can respond positively and constructively.
- Make a choice. There are some things in your family life that you love, but there are also unhealthy patterns that you dislike. If you cannot change what you dislike, then you can change how you think, deal, and respond to them. You may not be able to change your family but you can change yourself. Someday when you have your own career, life, and family, you can do things differently. You can be more patient, more loving, and make your loved ones closer to Jesus and each other.
This article originally appeared in Fish magazine Volume 16, but has since been updated.