There are times in everyone’s life where we are forced to be the bigger person. It’s hard to take a step back and to walk away. We all have that one person in our lives that can say something that will impact our entire day and affect us in a way that no one else possibly can. It takes a lot to be able to know when to pick your battles but it’s a part of growing up.
My father used to tell me that the day I learned to pick my battles would be the day that I finally became an adult. When people break your heart, hurt your feelings, and betray you it’s not the easiest thing to walk away. It’s definitely not the path of least resistance internally, and sometimes not knowing when to pick your battles can cause permanent damage to yourself and to the people around you.
So here’s the real question: how do you know when to pick your battles and be the bigger person?
Pick your battles not when you know you’ll win them but when you know they’re worth fighting for because they’re something that really matters to you. Fight when it’s something of importance to you and only then because in reality, those are the only fights that are really worth having.
Life is too short to being fighting over unimportant bullshit like taking out the trash, cleaning off the table, or bringing your shoes into your room. It’s simply bullshit that, to be quite frank, you’ll end up having to do in the end anyway. When you think about it, it’s going to take you 2 minutes to actually do the act that it would take you anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 days to fight about. It’s simply not cost effective to waste time getting upset over and fighting about something that could just simply be done in a fraction of the time with a fraction of the stress.
So, my advice to you? Pick your battles, be the bigger person, and it helps to set a code for things that are worth fighting about whether it’s with family or friends. Be smart about the fights you have and the energy that you put into having an argument. Most importantly, ask yourself, is this really worth it?