Tackling Tough Talks (at the Thanksgiving Table)

Angie Flynn-McIver

Angie Flynn-McIver

For several years, I sent out a blog to readers a few times a week. These posts gave pointers about how to practice, shared relevant stories, and provided a way for people to connect with my coaching approach. In 2022, I wrote my book, Before You Say Anything, which brought many of these ideas together in one place. The blog posts have continued to resonate with clients and readers, and they're useful as a quick reminder, so I'm including them here!

The holidays bring us together with family and friends we love and appreciate. Great! But sometimes these are the very same people with whom we disagree about, well, lots of things. The added pressures of “HOLIDAYS ARE SPECIAL AND GREAT” combined with pre-existing familial baggage make a potent recipe for holiday tension.

I got to talk about this timely topic with two old friends, Josh Batenhorst and Tom Chalmers, on their podcast “Josh and Tom Devour the World.” Specifically, we dug into the complicated feelings we all bring along into the holiday season, and what we can do to have the conversations and experiences we want instead of finding ourselves embroiled in the same old holiday annoyances.

The whole episode is worth a listen, but if you’re interested in the specific conversation about how to handle holiday tension, tune in at the 22:30 mark. Josh and Tom Devour the World, Season 2, Episode 7