You might complain, avoid, loathe, love, wish you could change, despise or shut out your family, but there is 1 thing that they can do that is life changing if you will listen and allow them.
If you are humble enough to chew on this 1 thing and spit out the fat that is inevitably there, this 1 thing just might change your life. This 1 thing will humble you, beat you down, anger you, and all out insult you. But it will shape and grow you if you will let it and if it is done in love [or even when it's not if you will listen closely]. By now you are saying…give it to me. My point exactly.
If there is 1 thing that your family can do that most others cannot do, it is to speak truth into your life, many times whether you want it or not. You know…those statements that you despise, that are 80-90% of the time spot-on truth?
Give it a go sometime…ask you family to all out lay down the truth [in love, if that is possible.] Why is that? Because they will always be your family and they have more than likely seen you naked in more ways than one. They know you better than most. Even if you have not seen them in years, they still know you better than what you might think. [By the way, that is why you don't like being around them for too long:]
When I live life with my family, they could care less how important I think I am, what accomplishments I have made that month, what book I am working on or what conference I have spoken at. They don’t really care about that. They know all of my past fault as well as my future potential. They have seen me at my worst and at my best and they still love me. [I think:] They aren’t afraid of being demoted, fired, or tossed aside, because we will always be family.
And sometimes they are the best ones to put a beat-down on you if you are willing to listen. I know there will be dysfunction if some of this, but hearing them out will show you many things that others are not willing to say to you.
Go ahead, give it a try. It’s free. No fill in the box tests, sofas to lay on, quarterly reviews, insurance cards or co-pay required. Thanks to my family for being real with me, and allowing me to be real with you.
