In case you don’t regularly keep up with me on social media or read my blog, the concept of having intentionally meaningful conversations as often as possible is transforming my life and I’m becoming more” I know when I’ve been having one, and even though they may be scary, I crave more of them. With all this talk about Brave Conversations, I thought I’d better come through for you on defining what a brave conversation is. How to know if you’ve really engaged in a brave conversation. Also, with all the buzzword chasing that happening in our society, how do we know if we who live by the brave conversation commitment are holding true to our words. I’d hate for all this Brave Conversation talk to digress into an elegant way to be a hypocrite.
Questions to ask yourself to evaluate whether you have been seeking and sustaining Brave Conversations. Are you in fact, a brave conversationalist? Here are seven good questions to initiate this conversation with yourself.
- Have I intentionally started a conversation with someone who I disagree with, am intimidated by, or who do not share my social status?
- Am I truly inviting the other person to bring their full self into the conversation, with their most honest opinions and perspectives?
- Am I able to bring my full self into the conversation, refusing to nod unless I agree, stopping to challenge assumptions, both theirs and my own?
- Do I consistently take the time and risk to ask for clarification when I don’t fully understand instead of changing the subject or pretending I do understand?
- Do I remain engaged when the conversation turns to controversy even when it might jeopardize my social or professional standing?
- Do I remain emotionally present with everyone, proactively sharing my emotions and vulnerabilities with those who have earned that trust?
- Do I truly believe that I have something to learn from every human being I encounter?
If you want to be one who shifts culture, one conversation at a time, join our free Brave Conversations private Facebook group!