Conflict Avoidance Will Kill You

"Conflict" is not a dirty word, ladies. In fact, it's freaking unavoidable. But according to myriad studies, we women are more conflict-averse than men and have a lower tolerance for disagreement. We also sidestep confrontation, naturally. (I have learned to embrace confrontation because it leads to some form of resolution, even if it's not always the outcome I expect or crave.) A few years ago, my dear friend and I had a misunderstanding that led to six months of passive-aggressive texts. Finally, I called her and confronted the conflict by being vulnerable. I said: "I hate what's happening between us. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about you. How do you feel?" I emotionally prepared myself for rejection, but she started crying and we talked through the cause of our stalemate. Now, we're closer than we were before and we have the tools to resolve any future conflict between us. Check out Brené Brown's TED Talk on the power of vulnerability in resolving conflict--and then consider confronting any fissures in your relationships.

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