Life intervenes.
People may need to shack up with a strange roommate, family member or even a recently divorced husband or wife for a short time frame based on one of many factors.
Being a current full time digital nomad, I temporarily lived with people who seemed to be the polar opposite of myself. I get along with most people but living under the same roof as an opposite tests the limits of your patience and compassion.
Endlessly complaining about your odd couple status seems funny for 60s’ TV show but doesn’t feel so good in a real life scenario.
Follow these tips to live – temporarily – with a polar opposite.
Stress the Temporary Nature of the Living Arrangement
Every living arrangement is technically temporary because life is change but a genuine, fleeting circumstance truly flies by quickly. Stop bemoaning the total slob who leaves more trash around than Oscar the Grouch. Both parties will go their separate ways as circumstances change. Perhaps your business takes off and you can find a new apartment. Maybe your oddball roommate moves back in with his parents.
Life is flux. Relax in your knowing that your odd bird house mate and you will go your separate ways eventually. Nothing lasts forever.
Appreciate Contrast
I am hardly a neat freak but live in orderly, tidy fashion. Living with sloppy people helped me appreciate their detachment in all matters cleanliness, orderliness and neatness.
Being raised by a kind and loving but sometimes brutally tough neat freak, I appreciated my polar opposite and their chill view on neatness issues. I even accepted seeing crumbs on the floor and litter tracked around the dining room without complaining one bit after seeing cleanliness from a different viewpoint.
Focus on Positives
Every polar opposite annoys you in some regards but possesses may positive attributes too. Seemingly lazy people with no vision teach you to detach from your ambitions in order to take your foot off of the pedal sometimes, when you need a break. The seemingly meek, weak person who hates conflict radiates sweetness, love and acceptance through most of their being.
Focus on positive aspects of a polar opposite’s personality to see that they are not so bad.
Swallow Your Pride to Honor the Mirror Effect
We see the world and everybody in it as we see ourselves. Do you know who you see when you judge that lazy person sleeping on the couch for hours at a time? YOU! Why? Every person, situation and circumstance simply serves as a mirror reflecting yourself back to you. Polar opposites may be completely different from you in most regards but any displeasure you project onto them just shows what you dislike about yourself.
Stop judging opposites. Appreciate your differences. Love them how they are. Know your living situation is a temporary, fleeting circumstance teaching you valuable lessons about interacting with other human beings.
Everybody teaches you how you choose to see yourself.
Ryan Biddulph is a blogger, author and world traveler who’s been featured on Richard Branson’s Virgin Blog, Forbes, Fox News, Entrepreneur, Positively Positive, Life Hack, John Chow Dot Com and Neil Patel Dot Com. He has written and self-published 126 bite-sized eBooks on Amazon. Ryan can help you build a successful blog at Blogging From Paradise.
Image courtesy of Christina@wocintechchat.com.
