Co-creating Peace Episode #129 – “Holding the Calm” Pt. 1

Ever find yourself feeling stuck in an increasingly tense situation, perhaps with someone you find difficult to deal with, unable to find a resolution, and unsure of how to diffuse the growing tension?

Welcome to Part 1 of “Holding the Calm”, Episode #129 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  

As a follow-on to the last episode of this podcast – Episode #128, “Navigating Family Tensions”, I want to continue the theme of how to navigate tensions, regardless of who it is with, and what better time to do it than now, as we enter the holiday season, which brings with it the wide variety of emotional dynamics that seem inevitable at this time of year.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear the first of a 2-part dynamic and enlightening conversation I had with mediator and author, Hesha Abrams, who gives us several practical and effective tools to diffuse tension and resolve conflicts in a wide variety of contexts. She shares the intriguing concept of motivational rationalization; how humans perceive and process information, how scarcity mentality can affect our decision-making, and how we can use all this information to have more peaceful, productive interactions with others.

Don’t miss these highlights:

• Conflict is like spaghetti sauce.
• Self-interest, including political self-interest, often interferes with conflict resolution.
• Validation is the WD-40 of the universe, but what if you don’t have any to give? 
• People can be like crabs in buckets. 

Hesha Abrams is the founder of Hesha Abrams Mediation and is an internationally renowned mediator who has successfully resolved thousands of cases over the past thirty years, from simple car accidents to multibillion-dollar disputes involving titans of industry. Hesha Abrams is a master at turning high conflict into amicable resolutions and resolving delicate matters with diplomacy and skill. She is renowned for her success in resolving complicated and high-stakes disputes from corporate disagreements to political conflicts. Her strategic ability to remain cool-headed and balanced in complex situations leads to successful outcomes making her a leading name in her field, and an invaluable resource in any dispute resolution process.

Join us for part 2 of my conversation with Hesha, airing on Sunday Dec. 10th. when Hesha provides some great insights about:

• areas of the brain that get triggered when we’re upset and how to work with that,
• the subtle power dynamics often at play in negotiations,
• the game-changing impact of unexpected moves in any conversation. 

In the meantime, check out Hesha’s book, “Holding the Calm: The Secret to Resolving Conflict and Defusing Tension”, which contains all these insights and tools and a whole bunch more at: https://www.holdingthecalm.com. It might just be the perfect stocking stuffer for your entire family!

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Visit BridgesofPeace.com to learn more about Kathleen and her work.