It was actually a really great reminder for me this weekend. TheEx has been stressed out about her job and what she should do about her career. She had a really bad day at the restaurant (a job I hate, for many reasons, in addition to the fact that it takes time away that she could be focuses on her career) and sounded really fed up with it and the general lack of direction in her life/career.
My natural inclination is to find a solution to a problem (especially when I see how unhappy her present situation is making her), and I could almost feel the advice coming out of my mouth, but then I remembered your words and just listened (while still demonstrating that I was invested in what she was saying) and validated her feelings. Phew! She talked and talked for quite some time and when she was done, she thanked me for listening and for being there for her.
Right now I am also doing my best on not overwhelming her emotionally with my problems. I talk to my best friend on the phone regularly, so I can usually vent and get advice from her. If the Ex asks, though, I usually give her a condensed version of my problems so that way I am still sharing with her (but not being too needy).
Today I am feeling a bit sad, but instead of being needy, I've decided to journal my feelings here, so that helps.
GAL Activities for the Week:
-Get back into exercising, starting tonight! I plan on going running 3x this week, if possible.
-Finish reading David Sedaris' book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. His writing makes me laugh so I figure it'll be good for my mood.
