“I read an article recently on how anxiety, fear, and stress impact the brain. The amygdala, an almond-shaped section of the brain, is responsible for a chemical response when negative feelings occur. A simple way to combat these uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety is to breathe deep, practice meditation, and gratitude. Meditation will help calm and shrink the amygdala. Deep breathing will help get more oxygen to the brain, and gratitude will shift thoughts away from the amygdala and move us toward the prefrontal cortex. The PFC is where we can think clearly, be creative, and make good judgements about our circumstances.”
Patti Reed: Face to Face: Smart Conversations with Yourself, Your Teenager, and Your Young Adult
3 Ways to Develop Conversational Intelligence
I met Patti at the AWSA Conference in St. Louis 2021. She sat down at my lunch table and we found a beautiful connection. As conferences go, we didn’t get another chance to talk, and that made me sad.
So when she said YES to coming on the show, I was thrilled. She is wise, kind, and a very gentle, yet strong, soul. More than ever, we need her teaching on how to develop conversational intelligence, or how to have “smart conversations,” as she also says.
In this conversation, she offers us 3 ways to develop conversational intelligence:
- Ask great questions.
- Listen between the lines (I added our Stronger Every Day lingo here!)
- Respond, rather than react.
She invites us to release our telling, yelling, and selling.
That advice alone is worth the entire conversation.
Heartlifters, if we are honest, we do a heck of a lot of telling and selling. Not all of us partake in the “yelling,” as I am a repressor, so need to let some out now and then.
My Takeaways
I love Patti’s advice about:
- using agreements
- paying attention
- establishing reasonable expectations
- developing smart conversations
Listen to Our Conversation
Watch Our YouTube Video
More Resources on “Developing Conversational Intelligence”
Visit Patti’s site and HIRE HER AS YOUR CONVERSATIONAL COACH.
Find more help on FINDING YOUR VOICE and DEVELOPING HEALTHY ASSERTIVENESS in Janell’s newest book: STRONGEREVERYDAY
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Keep the conversation going on Instagram: @janellrardon