About ten years ago, I was on the phone with my best friend. I was pacing my apartment, rehashing something my parent had said. (again) I could hear how fast I was talking, but I couldn’t slow it down. At one point, she interrupted me. “Morgan,” she said, gently. “Every time we talk, within five minutes, you bring up your parent. Every conversation, you sound exhausted. I don’t think you realize how much space they’re taking up in your life.” I remember freezing. I felt exposed. Defensive....

I'm teaching inside Protect Your Peace. I just explained exactly what your emotionally immature parent is going to do at Christmas. How their mind works. Why they react the way they do. And immediately, someone raises their hand: "Okay but... how do I get them to NOT do that?" I pause. Another person jumps in: "What can I say so they'll finally listen?" Someone else: "What's the script to make them stop?" And I realize I'm watching it happen in real time. I’m watching you forget that you even...

If you have an emotionally immature parent, you've probably come to believe that getting hurt by them is just... inevitable. That their comments will always wreck you. That one interaction means days of replaying. But that’s not true. You can absolutely be around your parent without it taking over your thoughts or your nervous system. Not by becoming a stone cold zombie, but by stopping the one thing that gives their behavior so much power over you in the first place. I want you to be REALLY...