The first time my husband and I argued it was terrifying. I thought it was the end of our relationship.
I've done a lot of meditation so during the argument I knew I should walk away, sit outside and observe my breath. It is a good tool, however it doesn't solve anything. And in this case it just made my husband angrier.
"You just can't hide away and meditate," he said. "We have to talk about this." I wished he'd go away so I could keep meditating. I was happy when I was meditating. I didn't have to deal with anyone else and their points of view and their big voices. But unless I'm going to become a hermit (tempting at times), then I need to learn how to deal with disagreements.
What I've found? It really works to just listen to the other person. When my husband wants to vent I let him and I don't take it personally. I usually know it has nothing to do with me. It's his opinion and he's entitled to have it. He might want to blame me for something, that's okay. It might have been my fault, it might not have. If I'm able to observe my thoughts and emotions, to keep breathing and not get all caught up in the heat of the moment and keep listening, things usually go okay.
Arguments and disagreements are going to happen. They're part of life. And the most important step to repairing them is to hear the other person's perspective and to let them know you're really listening. To respect their opinion. And naturally they need to do the same for you. We're not being doormats here.
OK, so that's what happens in an ideal world. What happens in the real world is that you get scared, upset, angry and most of all you want to be right, you want to win. When someone I respected, who was helping me sort through an issue, asked me, "Would your rather be right or be happy?" I said "Right of course. It's important to be right. If I'm right then I am happy. I get the best of both worlds. I am right and I am happy."
She looked at me as if I was an alien.
It's taken me many years to work out that having to be right all the time was making me miserable and lonely. That most people don't want friends who put more importance on being right than they do on being happy. Old grumpy-pants self-righteous me might have thought I was right. But it felt all wrong.
In an argument, take a breath, listen and ask yourself, "Would I rather be right or would I rather be happy?" Then, remember, that sometimes, you might prefer to be right, and that's okay too.
Get your free copy of Mary-Lou's Seven Tips For Your Best Relationship Ever