So many of us avoid hard conversations because it seems too hard or we don't want to deal with the potential consequences of saying the hard thing. If you’ve ever struggled to have or start a difficult conversation in a friendship, relationship, or work environment, this episode is for you. In this episode, I give some insight on why we avoid having hard conversations, the consequences of avoiding hard conversations, and tips on my secret sauce on ways to have difficult conversations with compassion and candor.   IN THIS EPISODE WE LEARN ABOUT:   Why we avoid hard conversations Emotions creating energy Consequences of trapping your emotions How to have more honest conversations How to understand and handle hard conversations Our emotional reactions are our own Emotional triggers and reactions Shifting blame and anger Creating safety for others Working through an emotional upset Subconsciously manipulating and sabotaging People pleasing Holding and deploying compassion Perception checking Acknowledging and seeing someone IMPORTANT MOMENTS:   7:00- My experience with hard conversations   13:45- One way to not have a hard conversation by coming from a place of anger and blame 19:42- A second way to not have a hard conversation by subconsciously manipulating the experience 21:42- All about people pleasing 24:10- The secret sauce to having hard conversations: Compassion 33:00- The secret sauce to having hard conversations: Candor 36:00- How to create a safe space for others 39:00- How to create a safe space within yourself