Hi Lovebirdsflying,

I relate to what your saying about someone jumping in and stealing your thunder. Sounds to me like you have your answer as to why you think this way. It is tragic how parents can ingrain in us the wherewithal to either go out and conquer the world or be fearful of it. To let criticism or direction plague us and ruin even a second of our life or to just let it roll off our backs without a care. So many of us build our self worth off of what others think of us. You can learn to manage these feelings. You can simply say to that person that "jumps your gun" that "hey! I was just about to do that, thanks!", and say it with a smile on your face or give them a hug even though inside it is uncomfortable. In other words, you can keep these feelings from affecting your daily life and your interaction with those around you. Those people can't read your mind and know what you were about to do and they can also act in rude ways without realizing it. But you can talk with them about your feelings and, if they are unreasonable in their behavior, you can attempt to get them to alter it a bit for the sake of getting along better. Hope that makes sense.

StrongerMan