Defeat enemies quickly

Yesterday I defeated one of my enemies. He tore a pair of trousers, shattered a mobile phone screen and inflicted injuries on my bum and back, and I tripped over him more than once. It took a long time - but I finally asked a friend to flex away the nasty piece of metal sticking out of the roof of my boat. Now „the enemy“ is in the scrap metal and can no longer harm anyone.

I wonder why I didn't do this much earlier. I kept bumping into the „enemy“ for two years - until I finally got round to it. „The stone in your shoe doesn't care whether you take it out now or later!“ says Marc Flint, an acquaintance of mine, from time to time. The stone doesn't care. It's good for the person who bumps into it to get rid of the problem quickly.

What applies to stones and iron girders is even more essential for human relationships. The matter often doesn't care whether we deal with it quickly or take a long time - but not for us. Unresolved issues chafe the soul and make it sore. Waiting a long time usually makes situations even worse. Paul's advice to always resolve interpersonal conflicts before sunset is both realistic and wise. Realistic because he knows that we react to certain situations with anger and rage. It would be unrealistic to expect anything else.

However, the advice not to leave things too long, but to sort them out on the same day, is wise. This prevents a backlog of problems in life and a backlog of anger in the heart. My godmother's aunt chose the above verse as her wedding motto. She and her husband have very different temperaments - and that can sometimes lead to arguments. But they always make up before they go to bed - and have one of the happiest marriages I know. Getting rid of stressful things straight away makes you grateful.