Drama is an interesting topic to me. I’ve worked hard over the past 5-10 years to minimize the drama in my life. And then, sometimes it creeps in. Well, it doesn’t actually creep in. I invite it. I create a safe place for it to put down roots and grow. I say “Come on! Welcome.” And just like a seedling, I water it. I feed it. And then when it starts to become invasive, I ask “How the heck did that happen?” Well, it happened because I welcomed it. I didn’t move away when I felt the first twinge of “oh this feels familiar…it feels like someone else’s business.” (In the words of the brilliant Byron Katie, there is only three kinds of business in the universe: mine, yours and God’s). I engage in the drama because I want/need something out of it. Because I was attracted to the energy of it. Maybe it was some karmic contract playing out.
My reflections on drama (I can hear Bart Crawford saying “Let’s debrief”):
1. Drama doesn’t happen to me. It is fostered and nurtured. Given a home and fed by me. 2. It is a symbiotic relationship. I get fed and the drama gets fed. 3. Drama doesn’t have victims…only willing participants. 4. All of my experiences with drama have taught me what my limits and boundaries are. The clarity is empowering.
I’ve come to realize that in the same way the mushroom in the Borneo jungle has many rings, so too do the lessons of life. The comfort comes in knowing that, although they may feel like repeat lessons, the rings get smaller. And the closer I get to the my core, the quicker and more lasting the learning.
What is your relationship with drama?