Too little, Too much?

All I can say is that it's a very tricky thing to know when to take it, when to dish it, and when to push back.

• If you take it too much, you get pushed around. If you take it too little, you're intolerant.
• If you dish it too much, you're a jerk. If you dish it too little, you're too nice.
• If you push back too much, you're overly aggressive, bordering on violent. If you push back too little, you're a push-over and you get knocked around.

I spent a good part of my life just taking it from my peers, my friends, and my enemies. I didn't dish it out because I was afraid of repercussions. I didn't push back because I believed it was better to turn the other cheek. Then I got pushed too far and drew my line in the sand. This was were I stood and you couldn't move it beyond my space. I took what I wanted and I didn't take shit from anyone.

I discovered the extreme of this wasn't good either. So now I strive for balance in my reactions. But balance is so much more difficult. Going through my extreme phase caused my claws to come out at the slightest provocation. Striving for balance means I need to know when to leave the claws out or painfully draw them back in.

I'm sorry I haven't figured this out yet.