Let the Rope Go

Did you ever play the game Tug-of-War when you were a kid? You know, the one where one player pulls at one end of a rope and the other player pulls back on the opposite side. I’ve learned that when you’re in a situation or have a problem going on with somebody else - your mom, your dad, your husband, your boyfriend or girlfriend - those disagreements can be like a Tug-of-War.

The lesson for me, in these back and forth moments, is that sometimes you just have to let the rope go. When you continue to press an issue and continue an argument, or in this metaphor “pull the rope”, most times you’re hoping that the other person isn’t going to pull back. When they do pull back, though, you’re exactly where you started. It’s your turn to pull again.

My advice, and what you can do from the very beginning, is not even grab the rope. Don’t pull it in the first place. Don’t engage in the disagreement, fight or situation. Just let the rope go. Walk away from that situation and go do something else, something more productive, that you need to get done. Things will settle by themselves.