From danwaldschmidt.com - March 21, 2013 9:29 AM

Besides sleeping and eating, everything else is a conversation. Conversations with yourself. Conversations with your family and friends.  Conversations with peers and coworkers.

You’re taught to choose your conversations carefully — knowing the power that words bring to any situation.

The right conversation is transformational.

The right conversation can inspire a tired army to conquer for one more day. The right conversation can bring hope and happiness to a sick and suffering patient. The right conversation can turn enemies into friends, collaborators, and fellow conquerors.

Any situation, no matter how bad it might appear at first, can be  remedied with the right conversation.  So being a master of that right conversation is an invaluable skill to have.  Without it, you find yourself alienating advocates and burning bridges.

If you’re going to be successful in life, there are three important conversations you need to master.

1. “Thank You…”

Gratitude enables tremendous potential in all those who experience its impact.

Being thankful enables you to see opportunities that others don’t see. When you’re thankful you are more likely to be honest, work harder, and collaborate at a level that makes you a prized asset in any situation.

If you find yourself acting passive aggressive you know that you need to work on being more thankful.

Like any habit, gratitude is an attitude formed deliberately. It doesn’t happen automatically (or magically); gratitude occurs when you intentionally take time to pause and remind yourself of all the good in your life —  even if your current situation might not seem all that amazing.

2. “I’m Sorry…”

The single biggest reason that friendships become fractured and potential gets wasted is a lack of humility when something unexpected and negative occurs.

If you can learn to apologize, you stand to prevail over a lifetime of impossible obstacles. A simple heartfelt apology instantly mends what no other amount of explanation can fix. Your whole being wants to factor and frame and finesse; so it is memorable when you can simply pause and take responsibility for your actions.

An unqualified apology. No excuses. No promises. Just an genuine recognition that things didn’t go the way you intended.  That’s the secret to fixing bad situations.

3. “Why”?

Curiosity is the quickest gateway to breakthrough. It stems from dissatisfaction with your current situation.  And builds on your anticipation for how things could be.

There’s nothing wrong with questioning everything. You might annoy those around you sometimes; but let’s be frank —  it’s your life to live. Your success to attain. So be curious. Ask the hard questions. Don’t accept easy explanations, even though that is what comes easiest.

It’s all too easy to just shake your head and nod, pretending like you know what’s going on — all the while hoping that no one figures out that you don’t have a clue.  And that’s just silly. And damaging.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions like:  “What makes you say that?” The answers you’ll get will surprise not only you but everyone else around you pretending like they have it all together too.

Conversations are your lifeline to breakthrough.

The right conversation can turn the odds in your favor and build the added momentum you need to push you past the obstacles in your way.

The right conversation can literally change the rest of your life.

Sometimes that conversation is just a few right words bravely spoken.

How would your life change with a better conversation?

 


Via EQRocks, David Hain