To hold "fearless conversations" as a standard of communication is not easy, but it's worth it!  It takes practice and continual checking in with our INTENTION.  Intention is that part of us that is an answer to the question: "What is it that I desire most?"  I love how that question is posed in the short video "Believe in Good".  

When we believe in the good in ourselves and in other people, we take care in how we communicate.  In the normal flow of life, we do our best.  However, often enough, we are in the middle of circumstances that call for stopping to tune into our intentions. 
It helps to pause before speaking to remember that we have choice about our intentions.  A handy rule-of-thumb is to pause as long as it takes to silently sing "Happy Birthday".  The consequences of our intentions are predictable.  

If my intention is to:	The consequences will be:
make you wrong be right correct or educate you control or change you shame/blame/punish get my way defend myself	stress, distress misunderstanding resentment submission or rebellion dis-connection distrust, disrespect disharmony, polarization
If my intention is to:	The consequences will be:
create understanding reach win/win make life wonderful build trust talk with you easily aim for mutual success really hear you	mutual understanding win/win trust, respect, harmony support ease in communication collaboration, cooperation empathy (given, received)

When we believe in the good in ourselves and other people, what do we get?  When we are clear about our intention, what do we get?  Like the young man in the video, we get the energy of our emotions.  We witness happiness, reach deeper understanding, feel the love.  We live in a world made more beautiful!

The practice of giving and receiving empathy is central to a Fearless Conversations Retreat. In most workplaces and organizations where I facilitate processes and meetings, people are doing their best to do their jobs, participate in numerous meetings, and interface with their public - all while living the rest of their lives, as well.  They tolerate and manage stress coming at them from many directions.  It is a gift to take some time away from work to support one another, to give and receive empathy.  In a Fearless Conversations Retreat participants learn and practice skills to create openness, trust, enjoyment, ease, kindness and fun together.

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