Are you willing to be uncomfortable?

Wow - the last 24 hours have been somewhat hysterical... you see I got a new cell phone. Now my old phone was ancient - truly, but I was comfortable with it. I could make and receive calls, get voicemail, all without stress or thought. Now I can check email, take pictures - video even! Well I could that is, if I could figure out how to work it.... I'm in that uncomfortable place of being new to something. I can't wait till I've practiced it enough that it's routine.

Our relationships can work the same way. Do you ever notice that you are having the same conversation with your daughter (or mother, or spouse or employeer) over and over again? In her book You're Wearing That? Deborah Tannen talks about the three topics mothers and daughter most often argue about: clothing, hair and weight.

A bit sad don't you think? Wouldn't it be fabulous if we were willing to talk about new possibilities, brainstorm ideas together, our values? Are we willing to be clunky with new conversations, like me with my new phone? Getting the value of changing things up and having more meaningful, or effective, or empowering tools in our lives? Being willing to practice, and be uncomfortable at first - for the greater good that will come when those converstions become more common, more fluent, more purposeful?

So today I am declaring that I'll have a conversation this weekend with my daughter - not about the current state of her bedroom, but about her beautiful sense of humor. And how that when I hear her laugh it fills my heart with emotions I can barely express of joy, hope, and a deep happiness. And I will have a conversation with my mother - not filled with all my hopes and excitement over our upcoming training - but about how she continues to model being in service, and how she has taught me to value being a difference in the world by her acts of selflessness. Today for example, she is hand rolling bandages for the hospitals in Kenya. Wow.

Those conversations aren't our typical, but we do have them from time to time. And yes it may be a bit clunky, because it's outside the normal, thoughtless, routine conversations. And it will be worth it! Are there any conversations you would like to declare for this weekend? Email us at info@workshopsforwomen.net to share.

And if you'd truly like to take on learning something new - join us for one of our five 2008 workshops - be it one of our mother/daughter series - or one of our co-ed trainings.

Our next event?  Fearless Dating for single adults in the dating world, March 22nd from 2-4pm.  Check it out under our "Workshops" link or call for more information! 

best

Kelly Sandstrom CPC
Workshops for Women

info@workshopsforwomen.net

503-223-1612