Uncomfortable Discussions

They say that growth happens when you get outside of your comfort zones.  One way to grow is to challenge your fears and put yourself in situations that make you a little (or alot) uncomfortable so that you can stretch.

If you fear public speaking, you could challenge that fear.  Scared of heights? Keep putting yourself in higher and higher (but still safe) areas.  You can also grow by having the difficult or uncomfortable discussions with others.

When dealing with people who have different values, life experiences and beliefs than you, it can be easy to find situations where you get uncomfortable.  You can pause and recognize a discussion as an opportunity for growth or you can run away and avoid them all together.

Unfortunately, most people tend to avoid being uncomfortable.  Lucky for me, I’m working on getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

I had to have an uncomfortable discussion with my husband a while back and I was able to observe by body’s reactions to this situation.  Once I knew I had to talk to him, I could feel my heart beating faster, hands getting clammy...in short I was observing my body kick into fight or flight.  At the same time, I could tell that my body was reacting not only to the present moment but to something in the past. Once I realized that, I took deep breaths and calmed myself down.  When I heard the garage door open, my heart skipped a beat. Again, I had to calm myself.

When I actually got out what I had to say, it wasn’t as bad as I had built it up to be!  It never is! We resolved the issue and made things even better than before.

Whatever conversations it is that you find hard, whether they be finances, health issues, relationships issues, or just telling someone bad news….take it as an opportunity to grow.  In the end, the waiting to talk is usually worse than the actual conversation itself.

Go out there and have those uncomfortable conversations and each time you have one, remember that you are growing a little more.  

In search of a supportive community?  Come to our monthly workshops. 613-761-1600

​