I often gear up and get ready to go into an authentic conversations with my agenda of how it will go. I’ve decided I am ready, and maybe I’ve even put considerable thought into what I am going to say and how. The problem is then the other person starts talking! Once this happens all my best laid plans, are thrown off course. It’s tempting to think, well, this isn’t going to end well. This is another way of saying you are not doing what I want.
The key to opening up true authenticity is in our willingness to listen. We get to respond to the impact we make on others , as well as invite transparent conversation from whomever we are with. Authenticity necessitates unpredictability. If I already know how the conversation will go I am probably on automatic.
Automatic is the thief of intimacy. Decide first what you would like to share with the one in front of you, converse and listen in such a way that you share in a future worth having with them.
READY SET GIVE!