Ask Angie: When to confront and when to accept– Introduction

I get a lot of contradictory messages from the advice world.

On one hand, I hear: You can’t change other people - you can only change your reactions to them.

On the other hand, I hear: Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! Tell people what you need. Talk about the things they should do differently in order to be a better wife, friend, sister, baseball coach, co-worker, etc.

So if I am having an issue with a friend – am I supposed to get positive or get talking?

When do you confront and when do you accept?

And what does it mean to accept? Because most of the time, when people tell me just accept something, I end up stewing in a-not-so attractive blend of anger, resentment, and can you believe that?

For the past month – this question has been heavily on my mind so I dedicating the next four Tuesdays to this very topic.

Have you had a scenario that illustrates this conundrum? If so, what was it and how did you deal with it?

Is there a particular situation you’d like me to take on? You can always email me at QuestionforAngiegmail.com