Isn’t it lovely for families to be together at Christmas…or is it? The thought is fine, but the actuality can sometimes be a bit different. Often, we convince ourselves that ‘this time’ we will do better – along comes ‘this time’ and we still all pick up our predestined steps in a destructive dance. Pity isn’t it? Family matters.
The Vital Smarts newsletter suggests an innovative approach to this seasonal challenge in their article titled: The Gift of Forgiveness. They recommend thinking about the stories we tell ourselves about family feuds. Once we have our story, the villains are fixed and keep to character. We, of course are always cast in the virtuous role. As the article says: ‘We can’t feel differently about others until we think differently about them.’ Change the story and you change the dynamics.
The Vital Smarts website was developed around the interesting book: ‘Crucial Conversations’. If you want some more depth before you leap into the family fray, this is a good starting point.
Meanwhile, all of us at Communicate wish you a happy (peaceful) Christmas and a great New Year.
