I’m back to solo episodes (for now), and today we’re talking about confrontation. We’re not born afraid of confrontation, but certainly many of us shy away from it. I’ve spent some time thinking about why this is and reprogramming my own thoughts and behaviors away from this mentality. And I want to share it all with you.
In this episode, I’m talking about how avoiding confrontation was instilled in me as a child, and how I learned to be quiet or to expect punishment for speaking up. This led to me being an adult in my 20s, 30s, and 40s, who didn’t speak up for myself. Now, here I am at 49, and I have opinions and beliefs and complaints and concerns, and I speak them aloud. I stand up for myself. I no longer conform to what other people or society think that I should do. That mentality got me nowhere.
When I stopped caring about what other people think and when I stopped acting like everyone else, I became the truest version of myself. I learned that confrontation is actually ensuring that my voice is heard. That what I believe and think and feel matters. I learned how to be me, unapologetically. And you can, too.
What’s in this episode:
Meredyth’s personal history with confrontation (or lack thereof) from a young age
How to pay attention to where and when an avoidance of confrontation began, and how to reprogram your thoughts and actions
Why it’s important to empower our children to have opinions and speak up for themselves
How avoiding confrontation is actually a form of gaslighting yourself
Giving your permission to acknowledge your feelings, even if they’re negative, and voice them
Why putting off a difficult conversation or interaction only makes it worse
Embracing your uniqueness and differences of opinion
How conformity keeps people compliant (make a point to actively challenge the system, instead)
How the practice of emotional release helps with overcoming trauma
Links mentioned:
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