The Season of Holidays is upon us now, and that means many people are feeling anxiety about family gatherings where the conversations may easily turn to discussions surrounding the “P” word (politics). The old adage of politics being one of the topics never to be brought up for discussion has all but vanished in today’s times, and so inevitably, you may find yourself at the dinner table in a heated exchange with another family member whose political thoughts, feelings, and ideologies are vastly different than yours. I urge you, however, not to abandon the conversation and run for the nearest exit!

Make a commitment to yourself, instead, to further engage your fellow conversationalist by asking questions and participating in active listening; see if you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes and perhaps understand their point of view. To be clear, however, I am in no way advocating for you to subject yourself to someone whose rhetoric is either physically, mentally, or emotionally harmful (some people you will never agree with and that’s just the way it is!). I am simply suggesting that just because someone’s point of view is different from yours, does not necessarily mean that there aren’t areas where you can empathize or maybe find some common ground.

Try this out during your dinner table conversations and make notes to yourself on the highlights, challenges, and opportunities for growth that you could leverage in preparation for future conversations. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know your thoughts! I wish you a very happy, healthy, safe, productive, and unifying holiday Season!