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Hey Reader,

A difficult conversation can feel heavy before you ever say a word.

You start thinking about what they might say or how they might react. Before long, you’re trying to prepare for ten different conversations that haven’t even happened. You don’t need to do that.

Remember, you don’t have to control the conversation. You only need to control yourself.

This newsletters is about that (and some healthy news meals I’m loving. More on that later.) Let’s get into it.

#1. From My Inbox: “I tend to avoid difficult conversations because I fear the other person may manipulate the situation, shift blame onto me, I won’t know what to say and then I will be trapped. Can you help?” - Helen

This is a great question, because this fear is the main reason most people avoid conflict. Try this. Set one goal you know you control before you start. “I will stay on one topic and speak in short sentences.” That’s your lane.

Then open the conversation with that goal in mind. “I want to cover one issue and keep this to ten minutes.” If the conversation starts to shift, you can point back to your opening line to avoid getting trapped.

#2. A Communication Tip: Lower Your Anxiety by Lowering the Stakes

If you feel anxiety leading up to an important conversation, you’re not alone. I do too. It has nothing to do with our head, it’s because we are humans. It has everything to do with our nervous system and we can’t stop it. But there are ways that we can reduce it.

I lower my anxiety by lowering the stakes of the conversation. I tell myself that this is not a race. There’s no medal at the end of this. It’s just a conversation with another human. Removing the pressure will reduce your anxiety.

#3. Something I’m Currently Loving: Factor Meals​

True story. I've been at the kitchen counter working on a few projects, and somewhere around the third rewrite of the same paragraph, I realized I hadn't eaten all morning. Two minutes later I had a Factor meal in front of me. Real food, 40 grams of protein (and a fork was the only dish I dirtied). My wife would call that a miracle. :) I love Factor meals. You will too. This link gives you 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box for a year.

Glad you're here Reader,

J