How on earth can we not get into each other's nerves? This is the Daily Disturbance Podcast with Anthony Fungini. Welcome back to the Daily Disturbance. This is Anthony.
I am not at home. I am out of town in Baguio City. And as I mentioned this week, I am not in my usual studio without Hannah's high-tech mic. But hopefully with this alternative system, I'm still able to share some authenticity and value, especially when it comes to this topic, family issues.
So how on earth can we not get into each other's nerves by not allowing somebody else to get into your nerves? You can. It is a choice. I mean, I control what my eight siblings decide to do with their nerves, but I definitely am in control of what I do with my own nerves.
Steve Maraboli, sometimes problems don't require a solution to solve them. Instead, they require maturity to outgrow them, not to allow them to impact you, right, and affect you and disappoint you and hurt you as it used to. It wasn't easy for us. We were nine children.
We still are. Now, oh my gosh, 30-plus grandchildren. So we had a lot of practice, right, in terms of nerves, nerve endings being educated on a daily basis. And even today, I see this happen.
You know, when one of us chooses or a couple chooses not to attend a family union, come on, you know this, or a Christmas lunch, right? Because somebody got into somebody's nerves, or I don't know what the experience is. One, two, or three decide to leave and delete membership to a vibrant group, at least temporarily to re-experience count and peace. And this happens to our family, and I'm sure it happens to some of yours.
I have seen, in my siblings, my parents, times when, in spite of my sinfulness, I put it that way, they were able to choose not to allow me to get into their nerves. I think I mentioned this one's arguing with another family member, while my dad was sitting in the hospital. I was just in awe of how, in spite of the fact that we are arguing in front of him, him who needed the comfort and healing, simply shrug the shoulders and, you know, duck it without allowing us to get into his nerves, the power of choice, the power that comes upon you when you choose. I think that is an important clarification.
The power may not be there beforehand, but when you decide to, it comes upon you. Someone once said this, you don't have the overcomers life, but you will have life as you choose to overcome. One of the things my father almost annually conducted within our family, again of my children, was a bull session. Where each one of us, nine, including parents would sit on this chair and anyone, and everyone could say, whatever they wish to say about this person, anything was good, bad or ugly.
I'm not sure it was completely healthy, but I think the benefit of open communication, outweighed the consequences of words that may have hurt at that particular time. We have refined it since then, but I had my dad for allowing that kind of engagement. That led to healing, reconciliation, and occasionally more argument. To create the environment in which people learn.
That's a statement from Albert Einstein. A weekly church gathering, a family counseling session, these have helped us. These have helped us not to get into each other's nerves. I request to discuss an issue over a family dinner, for example, what it involved all of us.
There is a need for an outlet, a channel, a medium. For communication and reconciliation, created. Iron sharpens iron, and so one man sharpens another. At least once a month, so far this year, for example, I am thankful that my sons have agreed, including two other men who work with us on a company to study scripture together and to help each other, apply scripture in our own lives.
Tennis is just a game. Serena Williams reminds us, family is forever.