The Conversation You’ve Already Had in Your Head
The night before I taught a class on difficult conversations, I received an email about how much time we can spend rehearsing conversations we’re avoiding. The timing was perfect. 😊
We plan what we’re going to say, imagine how the other person will respond, come up with an answer to that response, and before long we’ve had the entire conversation so many times in our heads. Preparation is helpful, but sometimes we’re looking for the perfect words because we hope that if we say it exactly right, the other person won’t get upset. We can rehearse all we want, but we can’t control how the other person reacts.
The Wise Inner Voice
There are moments when my mind starts spinning over the smallest things. A detail that isn’t right. A message that didn’t sound how I meant it. A conversation I replay again and again, wishing I’d said something differently.
It’s easy to lose perspective in those moments, especially if, like me, you lean toward perfectionism. The desire to get things right can quickly turn into an urgency that doesn’t match the reality of what’s happening.
