This kind of drama can be defined as: "Making a big deal over something unnecessarily."
You would like to believe that petty social drama ends the day you leave high school, but sadly, this is not the case. No matter how old some people are, they can still find ways of adding unnecessary conflict to their relationships, places of employment, church, home, etc.
Sadly, this kind of drama increases stress, ruins relationships and erodes the one thing that none of us can afford to waste...TIME.
The key to living with less stress, having better relationships and making the most of your limited time is to ELIMINATE as much of the drama from your life as you can.
Try this...
1. Never Assume
Assumptions are where drama starts. Somebody does something that bothers you, and then you run off and start making assumptions about why they did it.
What you observe someone doing is fact. If that bothers you, then you need to deal with them face-to-face (one-on-one). The moment you start making assumptions about their reasons or motives is the moment you move out of the realm of rational thought and into the world of unnecessary stress.
You have no way of truly knowing what a person is thinking or why they do the things they do. Catch yourself when you start making those assumptions; if you want to live drama free, let those assumptions go and simply resolve to deal with the observable behavior. Better yet, talk with the person face-to-face with the right spirit, at the right time and in the right place.
2. Avoid Hearsay
Problems tend to increase exponentially with each additional person who is added to the communication chain. If I hear you say something, I can be pretty sure of what I heard. If Lucille tells me that Henry told Mildred that Chester heard Sally say something, chances are that the story you are hearing bears little resemblance to the actual truth.
Each additional person alters the story to some degree. They may remember things differently. They may add in emotion or verbiage that wasn't there before. They may just be flat out wrong.
If you hear something through the grapevine, it might be worth investigating it. But if you work yourself up into a frenzy based on third, fourth and fifth party communication, then you are just feeding the drama machine.
Never talk about someone until you talk with them.
Don't get pulled into this. Skip hearsay all together and go straight for the horse's mouth. It will save time and cut the drama factory way down.
3. Be Direct
Drama is nothing more than a byproduct of our inability to communicate like logical, rational adults. That's why it's so prevalent in High School. This is also why it should be totally unacceptable in the adult world.
If you have a problem with someone, talk to them about it. If you believe that someone has a problem with you, talk to them about it. Direct conversations nip drama in the bud. This is not to say that direct conversations make all problems go away, but they will help you cut through the nonsense and deal with the real issue.
Relationship challenges begin and are compounded by passive agressive behavior and indirect communication. Don't text it. Don't email it. Don't voice mail it. Don't Facebook it. Don't tweet it. Go directly to the person and speak with them face-to-face.
4. Take the High Road
Never fight fire with fire. When you find yourself the victim of some small offense, your first instinct may be to respond in kind. While this may feel good for a moment, it usually just escalates the situation and makes everything worse. If you truly want to live drama free, then you need to be willing to be the bigger person and let things go.
You don't need to get in the last word, you don't need to "one up" the other person, and you certainly don't need to make them pay for wronging you. Just let it go, and watch the drama flow away.
5. Avoid Drama Queens
After you've made sure that you are not creating the drama yourself, the best way to keep your life drama free is to eliminate drama queens (or kings) from your life.
This is easy when you meet new people or are dealing with someone you aren't very close to. Once you realize they are "drama prone," minimize (or if you can, eliminate) the interactions you have with them.
With people you are close to, have a long history with, or are related to, or who are genuinely good people who's one major flaw is their tendency to make a big deal over nothing, you don't have to cut them out of your life altogether. Just acknowledge that quality about them and, when they start acting up, don't get pulled into their "drama tsunami."
We are products of our environment. To live drama free, get as many drama creators out of your life as possible.
Delete, Delete, Delete
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
