Soap Operas

Back to my Mamma.....she and my older sister were addicted to Soap Operas. I have automatic eyelids that fall asleep when I even try to watch between commercials. It's definitely a conviction instead of addiction!! Anyway, if you've ever watched just a tiny bit of a Soap Opera, you've seen how the3 characters will take little things so seriously as to ruin their lives over them - someone says something to offend them, looks at them wrong, or flirts with their spouse. Their response is usually, "Oh my gosh. How could this happen to me?" Then they exacerbate the problem by talking to others about "how awful it is." They turn life into an emergency - a melodrama. The next time you feel stressed out, experiment with this strategy - remind yourself that life isn't an emergency and turn your melodrama into a mellow-drama.

When I get too worked up or start taking myself too seriously (which happens more than I like to admit), I say to myself something like, "Here I go again. My soap opera is starting." Almost always, this takes the edge off my seriousness and helps me laugh at myself. This enables me to change the channel to a more peaceful station. Then and only then does it transform my melodrama to a "mellow-drama." Have a great Tuesday!