JRTherapy

"We need to remember that a grieving person is going to laugh again and smile again. If they're lucky, they'll even find love again. But yes, absolutely, they're going to move forward. But that doesn't mean that they've moved on." Watch Nora McInerny's moving TED Talk here: http://t.ted.com/9D9NMtu

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard in session that the reason why we’re not speaking up is a “fear of confrontation.”

Well, how about instead of viewing it as a “confrontation” you view it as “approaching” “communicating” “advocating” “asserting” or a different word that’s less activating —- and more accurate.

How we frame things can make all the difference.

Sometimes creating small language shifts can help us be brave and move forward- and enable us to have the harder conversations that inevitably come up in relationships.

Personally, I like the word "approach" better than “confront" -especially for people who might shy away from assertive communication and tend to engage in more people pleasing behaviors.

Of course, sometimes the word "confront" does work better- but I think it does feel heavier and more defensive - and can cause some people not to have the conversation because they are scared away by the idea of "confronting" someone. It calls up a more defensive sort of reaction, whereas "approach" feels more assertive and authentic- and still very strong.

How does "I'm going to approach them" feel different than "I'm going to confront them" for you?

Leah 💗