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The topic of this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is how to deal with difficult family members and friends during your interactions around the holidays. We all have that person who pushes our buttons that we dread seeing at family gatherings or parties, but Kimi has some ideas about how to make the interaction a little less stressful:

1.Remember that you have control over where you allow someone to take you – You can choose not to get worked up or ask that leading question that you know will lead to a place you don’t want to go. You are in charge of your mental state, attitude, and actions, not the other person.

2.Have realistic expectations – It is unlikely that your cousin has changed drastically since last year, so they will probably still get on your nerves. Recognize that and be prepared to be offended or bothered by what they say or do.

3.Avoid potentially upsetting conversation topics – You know what topics are going to fire that person up, so if they start to steer the conversation in that direction, try a conversation diverter to swiftly move away to something less divisive.
4.Watch your alcohol consumption – While you can’t control how much other people drink, you can control how much you do, and it is likely that if you use good discernment and balance, things won’t get blown out of proportion.

5.Be grateful – Realize that other people would love to have family members or friends to disagree with. Just be grateful for the fact that you have people you care about – and fight with. You could take this gratefulness a step further by volunteering or donating to worthy causes this season.

Topics Covered in this Episode:
•Dealing with difficult people
•Handling conversations
•Relationships with family members
•Knowing where to draw boundaries