Book Meme

Thanks Barb! Now I have to confess that I don't have a book on my desk or anywhere near me except on the bookshelves all the way across the room and it's really hard to tell which one is closest. But in the spirit of blogging fun, I'll see what I can do.

Here are the rules of the meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

I have a magazine that does have over 123 pages right in front of me, but I don't think "Elastic waistband. Imported. Machine wash and dry." really counts so I will go over to the bookshelf and randomly grab a book from the top shelf with my eyes closed... OK by you? I hope so. All right. Here we go. Closing my eyes. Walking across the room. OUCH! That was a lego. Maybe I should have crossed the room then closed my eyes. Reaching up high. Wow these are tall bookshelves. Picking a book and here we go....

Great. Why couldn't it have been something impressive or at least, inspirational? No, it is a book that once again forces me to make a confession. I actually have more than one of these "pop psych" books on my shelf, although now that my eyes are open, I see that they are all on the same shelf which means that if I really didn't want this secret out, I should have picked a different shelf. Sigh. Don't think less of me, that is... if you think of me at all. Uh-oh, was that too passive-aggressive? Ahhhhhh! Shutting up now before this hole gets any deeper.

With Passive-Aggressive vampires, it works better to tailor your strategy to fit their particular dynamics. Since many Histrionic behaviors are attempts to avoid confrontations, make Passive-Aggressives deal directly with the people they attack. Don't just tell them to do it, because they won't.
(Emotional Vampires: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry; pg. 123; 5th sentence)

Seriously, this is a great book especially if you have difficult people in your life and you are looking for some helpful strategies in dealing with them. It also helps you find your own tendencies (who me?) which can be useful if you want to change some of those tendencies. The vampire analogy that Dr. Bernstein uses is lighthearted but does create a vivid mental image that fleshes out the problems that these "difficult people" bring to a relationship. It might be pop psychology but I have found lots of beneficial information and would recommend it to anyone who isn't going to take it too seriously.