Holding hands is a sacred gig to me. It always has been.
So when I read an article by Jancee Dunn in this month’s Real Simple magazine, I was thrilled. In it she describes some of the best advice she received from her father. Number One was ‘hold hands while you hash it out’.
Sounds – well, real simple, huh? Not always easy though. When I’m in the heat of the moment, stopping to make contact with the person WHO IS WRONG 😉 isn’t usually what I’m ready to do.
Gotta tell ya though, I had the opportunity to give this advice a try recently. And you know what? IT WORKS! It worked even better because it was the other person who reached out first.
Whew.
And wOw!
I don’t prefer conflict. I prefer UNresolved conflict even less. So the next time I’m in a conflict that I want resolved, I’ll remember AND be the first one to reach out.
How about you? What’s your most effective way to resolve conflict?
Lisa’s Cheap Therapy blog 
punch ’em in the nose lisa~ but of course!!! then, whilst
they are holding their nose, kick ’em in the shins and run
like the dickens…..works every time
Hmmm…….I have some hand holding I need to do at this very minute! Hope it works!!!!
I just realized I never answered your question. That’s because I HATE conflict and usually greet it with silence, then creep away and pray that time & love will do the trick; because when I DO try to face it, I do what I did last night—-get totally SCREAM-O, then STRIDE away, BANG a door behind me….and pray that time & love will do the trick. Sooo, maybe it’s time to try the hand holding thing.
When the conflict is at work, I can usually be calm and listen to the other person and talk things out.
When the conflict is at home or with other family members, I usually have melt down, then end up apologizing, and doing what the other person wants because I feel guilty about my melt down behavior.
Holding hands might really help me loose the guilt!!!!
Jane, am smiling LARGELY as i read your reply. you, the anti-bully! THANKS:)
Mary Louise, hope the hand holding thing worked as well for you as it did me!
Judi, i know exactly what you mean about dealing with conflict differently when it’s w/someone i love. ugh. guilt = no good.