The anxiety of facing difficult situations and the conversations that go along with them can keep you up at night and distract you from the things that mean the most to you. A brewing conflict with a family member, a performance evaluation, or a stressful but necessary call with a customer are some of the events that inspire our best avoidance techniques. Sooner or later, we have to deal with it – the pain becomes too great or we’re too weary from walking on eggshells and keeping the peace.
These situations often make us feel attached to the outcome. It’s easy to focus on the points you want to make, how you want to prove you are right, or the agreement you want to reach by the end of the conversation. When we get caught up in what we want, we tend to walk into the scenario with a harsh edge or an energy that isn’t conducive to the other person or audience being receptive to us. In many cases, the results aren’t close to what we hoped for and one or both sides feel hurt or slighted.
How can we avoid this? What can we do to prepare ourselves so we are more open and in tune with the person we are trying to reach out to?
In the video that follows, I introduce the idea of intention and getting in touch with intention as a key point in preparing yourself to deal with a challenging situation. As you listen to the examples, I hope you’ll see that intention has more to do with how you want to show up and be in the moment instead of the outcome you want to achieve. Being present, engaged, and respectful with integrity and clarity helps to remove stress and keeps you focused on the bigger picture of having positive, rewarding relationships. You’ll feel grounded and centered about how you are showing up in the relationship.
I hope you find this video helpful. In those last moments before you walk into the room and initiate that difficult conversation or take the stage, really feel into your intention and how you want to be rather than focusing on what you want to say and the points you want to make. Learning and practicing intention increases the chance for a positive outcome from your most demanding interactions.