Wordplay Rears Its Head Once More
Regular readers will recognize my penchant for engaging in interesting wordplay in this space whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Thanks for indulging me once again.
There’ll even be a “sidebar” bonus, because last week I didn’t have space to include another tidbit that fits into this category, and I hate to let a juicy bit of trivia slip by.
A Client’s Defiant Daughter
This one begins with a coaching client of mine who was sharing a personal story with me (as clients typically do) about his daughter.
The young woman was being defiant, and they each stood their ground. I’ll spare you the details of what happened for privacy reasons and since it’s still a work in progress (what isn’t?).
Let’s just say that her defiance became a focus of our discussion together.
It was funny because during our previous call, before a bit of a summer break, he was pleased with some of the progress he’d been making in his relationship with her.
I’d even given him some ideas around allowing her to choose the ways that she participated in certain family projects, rather than having Dad point her in the directions he preferred.
Playing the Translation Game
Neither of us actually used the word “defiant”, but it was certainly an adjective that could have applied to what he was relaying to me.
A few days later, when the word defiant came up, during a meditation recording of all places, a bell rang in my head (I mean a proverbial bell here, not the one that ended the meditation).
I thought of the noun, “defy” and a close and related French word, “défi”.
The English translation of the word “défi”, is challenge.
Ding, ding, ding.
If the Defiant One Challenges You….
So how should you react when a defiant one challenges you?
Inspired by “fighting fire with fire”, my conclusion is to challenge them back.
It isn’t even that far off from where I had him exploring with her a while back, letting her choose her own way to be involved.
Maybe all we need to add is a bit of a challenge to it, to encourage her to not only make it her own, but to really make the most of it and outdo herself.
Translation Sidebar
Last week, in Stuck in the Mud? Don’t Wait for “MayDay”, it pained me to not have space to include some more “bilingual trivia”.
Did you know that “MayDay” actually comes from the French “M’aider” (roughly “help me”)?
Likewise, the term “Pan Pan” that was also featured last week, also comes from the French “panne”, which is roughly a “breakdown” for example regarding one’s car (“mon auto est en panne”).
Hats off to any creatives who thought the “pan” in Pan Pan was about being in the pan just before going into the fire of “MayDay”.
End sidebar.
What Do the Defiant Want?
Let’s get back to the matter at hand, i.e. finding appropriate ways to handle family members who are defiant.
First off, it may be worth taking a moment to think back to how we might have handled situations when we were their age.
This spring when many people had young adults return home unexpectedly, many of us got to live a situation that had both positives and negatives.
When my wife was less than thrilled with the reactions of our two homebound college students, I quickly reminded her that if I had been forced back home at their age, I might be a bit churlish too.
I’m Impressed. Please Continue.
I’ve shared with anyone who will listen how impressed I am with today’s young people. I’m hopeful for the future of our world, largely because I have faith in our young people to do a better job than those who are running things now.
For those of you who agree, and who are lucky enough to have young adults in your family, I think you should share that feeling with them.
“I’m Impressed” is something most people enjoy hearing.
“Please continue” to impress me, might just be the kind of challenge that will keep them moving forward.
It seems like something worth trying, and is clearly a Win-Win.
And it sure beats trying to deal with constant defiance.
There’s energy in defiance, and if you can harness it like a martial artist, maybe you can even make it work for you.
