Difficult Conversations You Shouldn't Be Avoiding

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Conversations can be challenging at times. We categorise them as tough because they may involve conflict and, as a result, a negative reaction from those concerned, or they may elicit uncomfortable emotions. As a result, we typically avoid confrontation altogether in order to prevent it. In many cases, though, avoiding these dialogues causes more harm than initiating them. 

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If you avoid having these uncomfortable conversations, you may limit your future happiness and success, and you may also deprive the other person of the potential they deserve. There may be only a short window of time to have this conversation before the opportunity slips you by. As a result, it is vital to stop putting off difficult conversations and start having them right now.

Here are some of the discussions that many people avoid, but that must be had right now.

#1 Arranging a funeral and making arrangements for after death with a loved one

If you have sick or elderly loved ones, you may need to discuss what they want to be done with their estate and how they want to be remembered when they die. Do they have a strong desire? Who will be the estate's executor? Have they obtained life insurance or sorted out     pre-paid funerals? In what kind of caskets do they want to be buried or cremated?

All of these are crucial issues that must be answered if you are to carry out their wishes while minimising the financial impact of their death on those left behind. Once your loved one has died, it will be too late to ask these questions. Surprisingly, according to a funeral survey, just 1% of us are aware of all of a loved one's ultimate desires.

Many of us avoid having this conversation because death is terrifying and never feels imminent. There is also concern that bringing up the subject of inheritance will irritate someone.

#3 Moving forward in a relationship

A difficult conversation is required at many phases of a relationship. Perhaps you want to establish a family and are curious what the other person thinks. Perhaps you would like to take the plunge and live together? Perhaps you have been dating for some time and want to make it official. Maybe you are not even in a relationship and are wondering how to ask them out on their first date. In some cases, there may be an issue in your relationship that has to be addressed.

In any case, such consultations may be required before proceeding. Your spouse could be waiting for you to take the next step, or they could be apprehensive. In any instance, you must be aware; otherwise, your relationship may stagnate, leading to irritation and even boredom, which can lead to worse problems than the one at hand.

#4 Breaking up with someone

It is something no one enjoys doing, yet it is often necessary - and extremely tough. It is much easier when the feelings are mutual; you may learn that they have been putting off terminating the relationship as well, so it is not a big deal.

If you have been together for a long time, the difficulty of breaking up may be preventing you from making the decision – you may own a home together, have children together, or have pets together.

In these instances, you must decide whether stability is more important than long-term happiness - usually, it isn't. The hardest breakups are those in which one spouse is still madly in love with the other. Choosing not to break up with them may result in you losing your happiness, whereas breaking up with them may feel like you are depriving them of their happiness.

Separating from them can be the best thing you can do for them. If the feelings are not reciprocated, the relationship is a deceit; they deserve to be with someone who feels the same way about them.