So what does plumbing have to do with  dealing with a control freak? I think we
  can answer that today.
  Control freaks.  Okay, let's be honest as we get started
  on how to deal with a control freak. Is  it you? Sorry, I know I tick people off
  all the time when I illuminate things to  them that they didn't want to see but
  honestly, as we talk about this topic,  just check and see how much of this is
  is riding on you. Is it you that wants  the control? I say that because a lot of
  times the things that annoy us the most  about other people, are things that maybe
  we could be working on ourselves. So I'm  opening up with that disclaimer and I
  know we're going to have ten people  unsubscribed because of that but just be
  honest with yourself, okay. Because if  there's some element of control
  freakishness inside of you that has you  asking the question in the first place
  then looking at that is going to serve  you very well. Now having said that, let's
  talk about some ways to deal with all of  those control freaks out there cause we
  know that they're all worse than us,  right? Here's my thought.. Control, first of
  all, why do people want control? Control  is basically synonymous with freedom. We
  all want control over our own lives,  right? We want to be able to choose and
  direct our life. What gets tricky about  control is everybody else that has their
  freedom and they're exercising it in a  way that may impinge or restrict
  our own control, right? Okay, so that's  where control battles come into play. I
  have to tell you about an experience I  had several years ago. I was doing a
  home-improvement project in my house  that required some plumbing. Now I'm a
  psychologist, I'm not a plumber. They both  start with P but that's kind of where
  the similarities end.  I thought until I got into this project
  and as I was trying to figure out how to  how to accomplish this little plumbing
  thing that I need to do, it wasn't huge or  major, I'm going to call it professional for
  those things but a little project that  I needed some help with. So I called up
  my dad. My dad knows everything,  like most dads and as a gave dad a
  call, his experience included some  plumbing and he had enough wisdom that
  he could counsel with me and he said,  "Paul, there's really only two things you
  need to know about plumbing. There are  two basic rules to plumbing." "Oh, I'm
  interested. Tell me, enlighten me." He says, "Okay, rule number
  one, water runs downhill."  Okay, awesome. Kind of already knew that
  but it's good to remember that if you're  installing a drain pipe. Water runs
  downhill. Got it, dad. What's the second  rule? Rule number two, don't lick your
  fingers. Okay,  I laughed. He was kind of being funny but
  that's a good rule. If you've ever  installed a toilet, you know what we're
  talking about here. Water runs downhill,  don't lick your fingers. As long as you
  know those two things, you can handle  this basic plumbing job. Well because I'm
  a psychologist, I have to apply  everything to psychology so I'm looking
  at these rules of plumbing and I'm  realizing you know what that has
  everything to do with dealing with a  control freak. Why? Because there's two
  rules to psychology, alright. Rule  number one, this is the water runs
  downhill rule, rule number one, some  things you control, other things you
  don't. Got it?  That seems so obvious, it's just like
  gravity, you never get up in the morning  and think, I wonder if gravity's on today.
  It always is and it always affects you  in the same way, some things you
  control, other things you don't. Whether  you believe that or not is irrelevant.
  It's true. Rule number two, this is the  don't lick your fingers rule. Pay
  attention to the things that you do  control, alright. That's all you need to
  know. Some things you control, other  things you don't. Pay attention to the
  things that you do and be wise enough to  know the difference.
  I meet with parents a lot and I want to  give you an example from parenting
  because as parents come to my office and  talk about the things that are bothering
  them, they usually make a whole list of  things that they don't control like
  their kids behaviors. Do you  control that as a parent? No but that's
  what you're concerned about, right? My  kids' grades, my kids' choice of friends, my
  kids' choice of activities, whether my kid  is using substances or not, whether my
  kid is suicidal or not, what kind of  music my kids listen to. Do you see how
  all of these things are controlled by  the kid, not the parent? Well, what's on
  the parent's list? What is a parent  control about their kids' life? This is
  where a lot of parents are like, "Oh, I got  nothing." You got something. Be clear about
  what it is that you control. What do you  control? Okay, well let's make a little
  list cause usually parents in my office at  this point are a little flustered,
  they're like, "I don't know." You control  your own attitude and behavior. True? Yes,
  you do. You control your own language, you  control your own life, okay, and by now,
  parents are like "Yeah yeah yeah"  but what does that have to do with my
  kid? Well it has everything to do with it  because how you show up is going to
  determine your level of influence but  not only that, it controls your
  experience in life. You want to have a  better life? Get focused on your own list.
  Now here's where it interacts with your  child's list really nicely. You control
  as a parent, now I'm talking parenting  but keep in your mind what does this
  have to do with a control freak that I'm  working with on the board or at the
  office or in the community, okay. Just  keep that in the back of your mind for a
  minute. You control what you provide. Now  that is HUGE okay. In the kids example,
  it's especially obvious. You provide  goods and services and access to all
  kinds of things, you control things that  you do for them, right? You control all of
  that, they don't. Now what are your kids  worried about? Are they worried about all
  the stuff on their list?  No, they're worried about the stuff on
  your list. That's good news and it ties  into the three rules that I'm
  give you next for a control battle  because when we're dealing with a
  control freak, we often find ourselves in  a control battle, right? So three rules
  for you, here we go. Rule number one, avoid  them, not your kids, not your boss, not
  that control freak. I mean avoid the  power struggles, don't get into them if
  you don't have to. Make sure as you look  at that hill that you're willing to die
  on that hill before you march up it. Pick  your battles wisely okay and avoid those
  control battles if you can. That's rule  number one.
  Rule number two, if you can't avoid them,  win them. You like that rule? Yeah, I want
  you to win. Incidentally, I tell teenagers  the same thing here in my office. I tell
  them avoid the control battles with your  parents but if you can't avoid them you
  win them. By now, the parents are like,  "Dude, we're the ones that are paying you."
  But I'm giving them this same advice.  Avoid the control battles, if you can't
  avoid them, win them. How do you do that?   Rule number three, you pick the issues
  and you do this by selecting something  from your own list. Do not get into a
  control battle with a control freak or  anyone else over something that's on
  their list. Why? Because you can't keep  rule number two, you will not win that
  battle if you don't control it. So you  always pick something from your own list
  and that way, you can ensure that you're  going to win that control battle. Okay so,
  you want an example? Let's stay with  the parenting thing because that
  honestly, that's where most of the  control battles happen in my
  experience and I got a lot of experience  with that too because I've worked
  clinically with families for so long so  let's use that parenting example but
  please keep the mind open for how this  might apply in other settings and with
  other people okay because the principles  are consistent. Let's go back to a
  teenager for example and let's say that  mom and dad are concerned about the kids'
  grades for example. Whose list is that on?  Kids. Parents don't control that. I had
  one mom say, "Oh, well so am I just  supposed to let him fail?"
  What do you mean let him? As if you have  that power. Mom and dad are concerned
  about the grades, what's the kid  concerned about? Apparently not the
  grades or at least he's kind of happy  with where they are or if he's not, he's
  not doing anything about it but he's the  only one who can control that. Are we on
  the same page with that so far?  What is the kid concerned about? Well
  let's pick something from mom and dad's  list that they control, okay.
  Do you remember when I gave you the  little heads up to what we provide?
  That's something we always control. Oh,  and by the way, with your kids, I've got
  to throw this in because ethically, I  kind of need to do this. There are five
  freebies, there are five things that your  kids are entitled to because they're
  your kids, not 50 things like they think,  five. Number one is love. Don't mess with
  it, you love your kids no matter  what and even if. We're good with that?
  Number two, air. I know, you don't provide  air to them but you have no business
  depriving them of it and it's sad that I  have to even mention this but I had a
  client who did about seven years at the  point of the mountain in our prison
  because her daughter died, you gotta have  air, okay. You have no business depriving
  them of that, air is a freebie. Are we  clear?
  Number three, water. Freebie for food and  I don't mean preferred food, I mean
  sustained life, I mean, keep the  bellybutton away from the backbone.
  You can't take food away from your kids.  What kind of food you provide to them?
  That's another conversation we could  have. Number five, shelter and in our
  society, that includes appropriate  clothing. Notice that shelter doesn't
  always mean a luxurious bedroom that's  private to them, that's not required but
  shelter is, okay. So we can have a lot of  latitude outside of that. Five freebies,
  don't get a mess with those, everything  else, negotiable. You're with me? In this
  transaction with the child, rather than  getting into a control battle about the
  grades,  what should the parents focus on? What
  they control, right? What they provide. Are  they providing anything outside of those
  five freebies that this kid might be  interested
  in maintaining? Oh yeah,  telecommunications came to mind
  immediately for this particular family  because this kid had a cellphone. A lot
  of kids that age do but they can't  afford it themselves, who's providing it?
  The parents. Do they have to? It's not on  the list of five. So instead of getting
  into a control battle over the grades,  mom and dad are going to pick their issues
  and they're going to get into a control  battle over whether or not they provide
  the cellphone? You follow? Now it's just a  transaction and it's all business. Little
  heads up, take the emotion out of the  discipline and get it all focused on a
  business transaction, put the emotion  into your relationship because your job
  is to love your kids no matter what and  even if. Interesting little side note,
  that's probably your job with people at  work and in the community too. How does
  this play out? What what if you're the  teenager? What if you're the teenager
  you're watching this video and you're  like, "Dr. Paul, man, you're making my life
  harder." No, not at all. You want something  on your parents list? Control something
  on your list and make a deal okay. You  get on your grades because what if the
  parents come up and say, "Hey you know  what, we're not going to fight you over the
  grades, you keep your grades above a B  average, we provide cell phone coverage,
  any questions?" Really? Can it be that  simple?
  Well maybe it is and then everybody's  focusing on their own thing. You see how
  that works? So remember, avoid them, if you  can't avoid them, win them and you do
  that by picking the issues and pick  something that's on your list every time.
  How to deal with the control freak?  Hopefully that gives you some good
  practical ways to approach this  without one that you're dealing with.
  If you're new here, be sure to subscribe  right there and I'll see you tomorrow.
     
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