Communication 102 – Confronting to Discover Peace
Posted: February 16, 2012 Filed under: questions, Thoughts Leave a comment »I don’t have a problem with confrontation, as long as it has a purpose.
credit: Flicker
Discovering truth, building community, or resolving broken relationships – these are things worth fighting for. Arguing about who drives the best brand of car, or whose sports team is the worth rooting for, well, that’s just dumb. At least in my opinion.
“It’s amazing though, how quickly people will bail when a conversation grows tense.”
Communication 101 – 10 Crucial Practices
Posted: February 13, 2012 Filed under: Parenting, Thoughts Leave a comment »
I remember a long time ago and being in a conversation that just made me squirm. Oh it was painful. I kept interrupting, interjecting, and trying to explain what was happening. My friend, a close friend, grew annoyed at my interjections. It made her mad. I was confused. I thought she loved me, I thought she cared, I just couldn’t understand why she was beating me up with all these words of complaint.
A few years later I took a communications class sponsored by my employer. It wasn’t a required class, but it was offered as a service to help us be happier, healthier employees. I learned much, but because I wasn’t in a relationship at the time, I didn’t have a way to practice these new found skills. But I did try applying them in other situations – with my Mom, friends, coworkers, etc.
Context
Posted: February 12, 2012 Filed under: Thoughts Leave a comment »For the past couple of years I’ve been
trying to put it all into focus. Putting the political, employment, social, and spiritual issues into perspective has been a struggle. In my mind, the spiritual trumps the others, but apparently that isn’t true for everyone and every organization. So, as I sought to understand the motives, compared to my own, and weighing those against my mistakes, and others, I was confused.
In talking to some friends yesterday, I realized that it was a lot like trying to make sense of a sudden, unexpected, and tragic death. Not only is there the grief, but the big “why?” question also. It is hard. Not that the loss of a job is anywhere near the loss of a close family member, but I think you get what I’m trying to say.
” Thanks for bearing with me.”
As I’ve been able to better understand the mismatch of priorities, I believe I can lay this to rest. I now understand the Church doesn’t stand for what I thought it did. This helps me to accept it for what it is.
I was stuck, but at least I feel peace right now.
Some of you may wonder why I ever wrote about this stuff on a blog supposedly about being a man with a Dad Attitude. It’s a good question – but it all has to do with learning to deal with hardship, pushing through the barriers, and not passing on resentment, anger, grief, and depression to my kids. Thanks for bearing with me.
“It is what it is.”
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