We all get our buttons pushed. No doubt we push others’ buttons, too. But what happens when we get our buttons pushed is a variety of emotional reactions, none of which is usually very good.
Getting our buttons pushed can make us angry, afraid, resentful, depressed, withdrawn and so many other feelings. The results in the “real” world are that we behave differently than we did “pre-push.” Most often, when buttons get pushed, they are old buttons .. ones that have a history, and were pushed in the past. Maybe a lot. And when they all happen to get pushed at once? by a lot of people? Well, then things happen. Or don’t.
In my case, I fell off my blog entries. Didn’t feel much like writing. What’s always true, with rare exception, is the button-pushers push everyone’s buttons that way – the button pushing is really their issue and never personal. It often feels personal, though, and can be quite tiring. Will those people change who they are? Chances are, no. Can we do anything about it? Sure! We can bring their behavior to their attention, and if they care enough about us, they may try and adjust it. We can also avoid those people or situations, and if that’s not possible, limit exposure to them. Finding a way to deal with the button-pushers is also helpful.
But what really works is understanding that we have buttons and that it’s always old stuff. The button-pushers? Their issue, not personal … let it go and move on.