One Life-Changing Idea I wish I had this revelation years ago and it didn’t require a huge amount of emotional drama to learn. Understanding this revelation years ago would have dramatically improved my life.

It took a stream of daily difficult conversations, months of classes, and my manager, at the time, holding me to a seemingly impossible standard. After I cleared my head and found some space to reflect, I realized Kwame Christian Esq., M.A is right: “The best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.”

Difficult conversations are often more difficult in our heads than in life. I stress and worry and fret about difficult conversations. I wonder: am I prepared? Am I being unreasonable? What do I do when they get upset?

In the end, most difficult conversations turned out to normal conversations. A few have turned into issues, but that’s a different life lesson. The conversations required preparation and courage, then listening, understanding, and validating the other’s viewpoint.

Most of the difficult conversations could have been avoided by both parties being honest about their needs and intentions, listening, and being open to having a conversation before the issues and problems escalated to a difficult conversation.

Maybe, I learned two things:

• The best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.

• Openly and honestly communicating can head off many difficult conversations, turning them into moments of shared understanding and growth, instead of festering into a potential problem.

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