That isn't just about marriage but family, friendship, ex's, co-workers, business partners, legal battles, you name it. When there is more than one person involved, there is opportunity for opposition.
When we are young we argue with people about some seriously, tiny and mundane things. Things that in the big scheme of life, don't freaking matter. Even in my late 20's my stubborn ass would fight to the end just to prove I was right over song lyrics! Now with the internet at our fingertips we can quickly and easily prove someone wrong in a matter of nanoseconds. See!? I TOLD you I was right!
As we age these things get bigger and more serious. It is when we hit our 30's or so that we may (or sadly may not) realize that arguing for hours over something that really simply DOES NOT MATTER. Are you willing to lose your friendship of 10 years becuase you can't agree over whether Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club was the better John Hughes movie? Or God forbid you toss alcohol in the mix you could lose your marriage over how he yelled at you that one time 15 years ago but you really just can't let it go. Move on... you can't change the past and you can't predict the future.
I've watched families literally rip apart because one person simply cannot and will not EVER EVER EVER admit that they are wrong. It's terribly sad, terrilby tragic, and terribly stupid.
As I have personally found a renewed faith in God ove the past 6-8 months, one thing that has reallly come to my heart is that you simply have to pick your battles. With that said, part of that is knowing that there are instances when you will never ever win, not because you are wrong, but because you are fighting or bickering with a force that will never allow themselves to be reckoned with. You have to ask yourself, "is arguing over a/b/c really worth all of the stress and the negative energy?". Toss it into God's hand and let Him deal with it.
In this world of social media it is WAY too easy to get into an overheated bullshit battle with a complete stranger becuase they have either misread or misunderstood your words or because they are completely distraught witih the fact that you might actually reallly like Miley Cyrus and they are going to condemn you to hell because of it. Really? No thank you, I have a positive life to live. Moving on....
Being in a marriage with another strong hardhead has proven to be a challenge but after a few years and some good communication we both realize that we can't both always be right. At the right time and right place, someone usually backs down. I'd love to say I'm always right but I have learned with experience that you are a far more intelligent person when you can admit mistake and defeat.
So as you go forth today and this week think about choosing your words wisely because when they get ugly you can't take them back ... and an apology is only 2nd best to not saying them at all.
Pick your battles carefully and look deep into the root of what your battle is about and how important it really is to your day to day life. If it is about something that genuinely affects your relationship or household then maybe it is worth the fight but if it is about whether Nicki Minaj is sexy or not or should Madonna really be dancing around at 56?... Move on.
Life is short, enjoy your days with abundance xo
