49 - Conflict

Full transcript here 👋 Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen. The word for today is conflict. What is your M.O. regarding disagreement? Do you get defensive? Do you tend to criticize and belittle as a response to conflict? Dr. John Gottman says that communication starts to go downhill when complaining turns to criticism. As soon as the phrase, “You always” or “You never” comes into play, the conversation has taken a turn for the worse. Today’s concrete challenge is to practice expressing yourself while leaving out any criticism. The key phrases to do this are, “When I feel, hear, see, think...” (any observation word can fit here) “I feel…” “because I need or value…” Use the next few minutes of this podcast to recite those phrases multiple times so that you’ll be more likely to remember to use them in your next argument. I’ll keep the music playing while you do, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode. Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who is able to express my needs without criticising someone else.” Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today. Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.