Page 48 - Mindfulness Meets Emotional Awareness Sample Book

To do this we will need to confidently develop the necessary
language skills to enable us to transform anger into
assertiveness in ways that will allow us to be heard, while at
the same time taking others into account.

Assertiveness at its best is a tool of negotiation. Many a
disagreement could be negotiated differently if time were
taken on both sides to work out and vocalize clearly what we
really think and how we really feel, in order to give a clear
representation of our respective viewpoints.

In terms of developing my own communication skills in this
area, what I have learned is this:

In any situation of negotiation or conflict, my recognition of
my role in the scenario — and therefore recognition of the
choices available to me — creates a position of personal
empowerment. Choosing to listen and hear the other person’s
point of view whilst taking an ownership of my own position
with a desire to be an active participant in any negotiation
keeps me in my own driving seat.

I do not have any control over the actions of others, nor am I
responsible for the actions of others. However, I do have
control over my own actions, and I am responsible for the
choices that I make in response to the actions of others
around me.

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Mindfulness Meets Emotional Awareness
©Jenny Florence/Burgess A-Z of Emotional Health Ltd 2016 All rights reserved.