Emotional Awareness on the rise

Nobody likes difficult conversations. They’re uncomfortable, confronting and seem like a total waste of time.

No surprise that ghosting has become a common feature of the dating world. Why bother telling someone they’re not meant for you when you have the option of going silent on them…

It might seem like the go-to option, except for one problem.

Escaping from discomfort always catches up in the long run…

Much like avoiding difficult conversations builds resentment, creates more tension, and eventually sucks the joy out of any relationship.

If you ask me, the costs of avoidance are far higher than the fear of confrontation.

Doing anything worthwhile in life requires a strategy and the same applies to approaching difficult conversations.

For starters, it’s worth dropping any preconceived notions and judgments about the person or the situation. Half the time we make conclusions in our own heads without even making an effort to have the actual conversation. This as you can imagine is counterproductive because nothing about the situation has actually changed. Remember progress requires action.

Sure, addressing a situation with certain people can backfire but as the saying goes- “there’s only one way to find out”. Besides, it’s better to dive all in instead of having regrets later about not making an attempt in the first place.

For this to happen, it’s particularly helpful to enter a conversation free of biases and with a neutral mindset. There’s little value in catastrophizing the situation in your head. It may not be as dire as your thoughts are making it to be.

Once you’ve got your thoughts sorted out, the next part involves the obvious act of communicating. Often this is where things spiral downwards, if not done in the right way.

Any conversation is only as constructive as the level of awareness one shows up with. Which is why it’s imperative to own your feelings instead of projecting accusations on the other. This looks like:

I feel so and so.. instead of YOU DID so and so….

A lot can shift with this simple act of taking personal accountability. Not to mention, it also encourages the other person to do the same and own their part. Well, hopefully.

Of course even with the best of intentions and the honest expression of feelings, it’s possible to have a difference of opinion and this is where empathy comes in real handy.

There’s no greater skill than being able to understand other people’s perspectives and learning from their viewpoints. Doing this alone wins half the battle.

Needless to say, not every conversation will have a happy ending.

It’s okay to agree to disagree. As long as it’s done consciously and without strangling each other.

Authentic dating

It’s fair to say that expressing ourselves authentically is a universal struggle. In fact, Over 80% of relationships fail because of the inability to have open and emotionally intelligent conversations.

About time we change that hey?

In this conversation, Neeta Bhushan and I talk through the challenges of modern dating, how to move past people-pleasing tendencies, embrace your uniqueness and be intentional about one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make- choosing your life partner. 

As a bonus, you'll also learn the tools to normalize and navigate through the sucky moments of life.

Whatever phase of dating you’re in, you’re bound to resonate with this chat:

The missing ingredient to inner peace

Since the advent of modern education, IQ has been at the forefront of our development.

Parents shell out big bucks to get their kids to become ‘smarter’ while teachers devote half their lifetime to the same cause.

While there is an abundance of skills to be learnt today, there’s one key missing skill that I consider to be the core reason behind our personal suffering whether it’s stress, rocky relationships and interracial conflict.

It’s called Emotional intelligence.

With a mission of helping people navigate through life’s curveballs and master their inner game, I present to you emotion-smart.org.

Jump on the waitlist and brace yourself for all the practical insights and tools that are to come your way, when we officially launch.