Mouthing Off! It feels as if firing off a verbal barrage has become socially acceptable, especially among politicians (“He’s a Mexican”, “You’re fired”, “He’s Deplorable”…he did that, she did that…). CBS responded a few weeks back to a “mouthing off” episode by dismissing the errant employee (“I’m actually not even sympathetic (to the Las Vegas … Read more
The day before my son left for college we started practicing our goodbye. I hugged him almost anytime I left his presence. He laughed at my silliness while agreeing that it would make the real “ Au Revoir” easier. We felt grateful to have found humor as a salve for apprehension. Goodbye to cooking family … Read more
Sometimes we go through tough times in a relationship made worse by bad things said between two people or not. We don’t like our manager, for example. Differences seem irreconcilable. There’s little dialog. Yet if reconciling feels right to us, it is possible to find a new beginning. In a working relationship we need to especially keep the … Read more
When crossing a street we hold tightly to the small hands of our children. We steadfastly want to protect them and bolster their sense of security. Holding tightly is analogous to “standing firm” in conversations. Our children are precious. So are you! Think about a time when you had to communicate something difficult or … Read more
It feels aggravating, even rude, to be told, “Take a breath”, “Calm down”, “Chill”! Even so… the request during a heated conversation, in whatever form, is often spot on! We need to calm down. Our mind’s perception rarely provides a full picture, especially if there’s tension. If we take a moment to quiet ourselves, even … Read more
As much as we believe conversation connects us, sometimes our knowledge gets us in trouble! Let me explain! At a community table recently, a couple taught us about how they raised chickens, turkeys and rabbits on their property. We’ve since shared what we learned with others because the “home farming” conversation was interesting and a … Read more
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” No other sentence stops conversation like this one. The recipient feels unheard. In response we retort: “I can’t move forward with my day (my project, my work, with going to sleep) without having a conversation NOW”. Are you someone who can wait? Most of us can’t. Perhaps … Read more
It’s shocking how early in the morning our minds start racing down the day’s track and yet the sun is barely in the sky. Frenetic energy also affects family members, those who move a little “slower”. Which are you, the snail or the Road Runner? Beep Beep. Running around like a crazy person at any … Read more
Comfort food such as mashed potatoes, gravy and meatloaf reminds me of goodness, a dependable meal of solid kindness. Similarly, a conversation can be packed with goodwill reminiscent of homemade apple pie your sweet grandmother likes to serve. Thoughtful conversation ultimately means taking a “heart to heart” exchange to heart! There’s no beauty greater than … Read more
Sometimes we wonder about insensitive behavior during a conversation. We ask ourselves “What Gives”, what cues are we misunderstanding? A more helpful question, instead, is to consider how to change a discussion’s tone and tenor to something more amiable. In a favorite morning meditation by ”happiness expert” Jonathan Lehmann[1], he offers affirmations to “make it … Read more