Have you experienced a tough conversation with someone? It can either be with a family member, a friend or a colleague? How did you handle it? 

Tension, anxiety, unrest and the current pandemic we have are making situations difficult lately. Add the stress that comes with all these things, a conversation with someone can get heated and can provoke someone. Thus, making someone reactive. Did you know that being reactive is not helpful when you want to have a meaningful conversation? 

There are ways to tackle a difficult conversation. Start with calling it a normal conversation, your frame of mind is going to help a lot before you start this so called "difficult conversation." I am also a learner for the tonight's episode because despite being in many difficult conversations, I still need to learn how to manage my emotions. Enjoy listening to my podcast tonight! Happy learning! 

Resources: 

Bernstein, E. (June 14, 2020). Worried About a Difficult Conversation? Here's Advice from a Hostage Negotiator. Retrieved from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/worried-about-a-difficult-conversation-heres-advice-from-a-hostage-negotiator-11592139600

Prossack, A. (October 28, 2018). How to have difficult conversations at work. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashiraprossack1/2018/10/28/how-to-have-difficult-conversations-at-work/#7cda270510b7

Have you thought of an action or moment where you have thought that I shouldn't have done that or I should have done that, I would have and I could have achieved it.... You are living in the shoulda, woulda, coulda land. I experienced it myself and it is difficult to be reliving those moments because there is no solution to it. There is no going back. 

Shoulda, woulda, coulda according to Urban Dictionary, " it is of no use to dwell on what is or what should have, could have or would have happened/been done." Pretty much living in the world of regret. It is not the greatest feeling at all. There are ways to combat that. We have to remember that we have our past and we have made mistakes but how we view every decisions we make should not make us an inhabitant of the shoulda, woulda, coulda land.

Establishments are reopening. Some are still anxious to get out while some are ready to venture out there. Some are excited to have their hair done for sure or do a dine in at their favourite restaurants. However, the question boils down to are you ready to venture out there? How prepared are you? Have you done an assessment of yourself as to where you are emotionally and physically? Are you functioning at 100%, 50% or 20%? 

It is crucial that we attend to our emotional needs because not attending to them will cause us to be more vulnerable to isolation and depression. Stress at work and frustrations with the people around us are just compounding all these trepidations we are feeling. Take care of your physical and mental well being and among other ways to shut down all these negativities during this pandemic. 

*Oh boy, wrong pronoun usage for Brene Brown, sorry!

Why is it so difficult to start something? Whether it is a project or a business venture, we always run into issues. It could be related to fear, anxiety, or afraid of committing mistake. There are many factors why we are so scared of starting something. I have recorded a podcast episode in August, 2019 but did not have the courage to publish it. I was afraid that people will make fun of me for creating a podcast because in my head, "Why would you create one?" All these stories in my head until I decided to publish my first episode two weeks ago and here I am on the third episode. 

We need to remember that the beginning is painful. We need to embrace the process and we need to start with baby steps.  Resources: Hui, R. (April,2019). Why starting is the hardest part (and how to overcome it). Clear, J. (2012). The Habits of Successful People: They Do The Painful Things First.

As a leader, how do you cultivate a positive work environment? There are so many ways to do it such as collaboration, engagement, and communication. It can start during the orientation phase were we introduce the company’s values and goals. So many things to do it but what works for you as a leader? What are your experiences?

Right now, it is tough with what is going on with COVID-19 and other stressors in life. How do we become a light to others? How do we maintain connectedness? What are the things that you are doing right now to be occupied? So many things we have to deal with but let us not forget to let our light shine to the people around us.