political disagreement

Six Simple Ways to Prevent Family Gatherings from Being Derailed by Politics

Six Simple Ways to Prevent Family Gatherings from Being Derailed by Politics

Family gatherings can bring feelings of warmth, excitement and joy. Like most of us these days, you may also be bracing yourself for dreaded toxic political conversations. A couple of my peers and I wondered what happened to simpler times, when people had healthy debates on front porches. From those musings, we developed a project called Porch Talks, to guide conversations from toxic to healthy. I have lifted some of those ideas to share six simple ways to prevent family gatherings from being derailed by politics.

Build Your Resilience in Conflict: Three Proven Strategies

Build Your Resilience in Conflict:  Three Proven Strategies

Very few of us engage in conflicts with confidence and ease.  In fact, most people fear conflict. Conflict avoiders are all around us. So are conflict magnets, or people who seem to thrive on drama and conflict. They don’t stir things up because they enjoy conflict. Typically, they’re not skilled at engaging appropriately in conflict, and internal triggers fuel actions that inflame conflicts. Conflict isn’t typically in anyone’s comfort zone, but there are strategies to help us be more resilient in conflicts.

Four Timeless Ways to Cultivate Respect in a Polarized World

Four Timeless Ways to Cultivate Respect in a Polarized World

Between social media and news, we’re bombarded with conflict. In fact, negative emotions are at record levels across the globe. Interpersonal tension is inescapable. It’s stressful. Interactions with perfect strangers can have us walking on eggshells.  We’ve all seen how one misstep can set off a firestorm of public shaming.  I’m not talking about political correctness. I’m referring to basic respect. Three octogenarian strangers in a waiting room agreed, and shared some age-old lessons for fostering respect in our polarized world.