How to Deal With Givers of Unsolicited Advice

Those of you who know me well are aware that there is a person in my life who insists on giving me "advice" even when it is unsolicited and/or unwarranted. It drives me crazy to the point of tears. I have avoided seeing this person and have even let the phone ring when I see their name on the Caller ID.

Anyway, the point is that I finally figured out how to deal with the situation. My very wise father-in-law pointed out that this person has a need to be in control of everything and everyone. I thought about that for a while and came to the conclusion that this person would be happy if they "thought" they were in control, even if they were not.

So my solution was to ask this person for advice on something that I either didn't really care about or something to which I'd already found an answer. It works like a charm and I wish I'd thought of it earlier. This person gets their need to control met and I get some peace.

I'm amazed at how much easier my life has become. I just hope this person doesn't figure out what's going on; otherwise, I'll be back to tears and frustration. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy every minute of tranquility.