Top 5 ways to deal with difficult people...

Sometimes the military forces us to be around people we might find difficult for whatever reason.  (If you don't have a few people in mind right now, you must be a saint and should share your secrets with all of us!)

I'll readily admit that I have encountered my fair share of difficult people while tagging along with the Marine Corps.  I think I've handled some with grace.  Others, I might have disgraced myself while interacting with them.  I consider each difficult person and interaction a life lesson and an experience to evaluate as I try to better myself.  In dealing with the difficult person, what worked?  What can I do differently next time?  How am I presenting myself to this person, and, in turn, the world?

In evaluating how I have handled difficult people, I have learned five key points:

1. Be patient.  With the person.  With the situation.  Just.  Be.  Patient.
2. Sometimes people are only difficult to me because our personalities and/or values are very different.  I have to remember that if I consider her to be a difficult person, I am probably a difficult person for her.
3. Don't let her get to you.  If we're talking about the blatantly mean type of difficult person, realize that that might just be who she is.  Shrug it off.
4. Surround yourself by un-difficult people.  Prevention is key! 
5. When all else fails, walk away. It's so much better to ignore or physically walk away from a difficult person.