It’s such a joy writing my blogs/articles.
Yet I’ve felt like I’m supposed to make sure it’s useful and constructive.
However, I’ve decided that I want to be a little more informal and playful and, yup, personal.
Why the heck not? I write these for me +1. I am just tickled when people come up to me and share that my podcast or an article has provided a bit of relief from stress or a moment of fun.
In that spirit, I want to confess something to you.
OMG. It’s juicy.
I
Love
Drama.
Dramaaaaahhhh. Drama with a capital “D.”
This confession shocks me. Why? Because I thought I was immune to such childish things.
But, no. I love drama. I love hatin’ on things. I love the villain so I can hate the villain. I love snark. I love reading the news so I can hate on the state of the world. I love having high ‘n’ mighty conversations with other people about how things “should be done.” I mean, we obviously know the preferred way, yes? Indeed. Haters gonna hate – it’s me!
But, wait, there’s more. I love to hate on things that have disappointed me. (Yeah, American politics and corporations, I’m looking at you!)
Two things to share about my confession:
- It actually surprises me how much I judge myself for being drawn to Drama like a moth to a flame.
- I am incredibly curious about why humans in general seem so drawn to Drama.
I started to watch the Depp vs. Heard show on ye ol’ streaming service but decided to stop when it seemed like 50% of the story was about humans doing the Drama Pile On via social media.
Side note: I don’t think that showing TikTok snippets is a strong documentary approach. Hated it!
Why do humans love Drama?
After coaching thousands of people, I have formed a strong belief that what motivates humans more than anything is social status.
Because social status infers security. And humans crave security.
So of course we are attracted to drama. It’s one way, perhaps, that our minds learn what will earn or deduct status from a person. We’ve got to know how the people feel so we know what to think, feel, and do!
My work is about helping myself and others live intentionally from a position of creating less stress and more fun.
With that in mind, I’ve decided the following for myself:
- I will not create stress via judgment about my tendency to be attracted to drama. I’m human. I don’t need to rise above my humanity. Yeah, I love drama. Most people do. See exhibit: all of human history
- I will create more fun by choosing a relationship with Drama that enables curiosity and maybe even closeness to others. If my attention to a bit o’ Drama hurts me or others – it’s a no. If it helps process frustration or provides harm-less entertainment – it’s a maybe.
Feel free to use those suggestions yourself, if useful.
Sometimes I wake up noticing how I’ve been drawn into Drama, I get to ask myself, “Is this where I want to give my attention?”
And, yup, sometimes the answer for me is “YES!”
Gotta run! That California-based reality TV show about real estate is back with another season. Time to tune into the dramaaaaaahhh….
P.S. I invite you to fall in love with the “Less Stress, More Fun” podcast. Subscribe today! Each week’s episodes offer smart, fun ideas to reduce stress and boost your sense of playfulness.
