Guest post
2023: a time for connection
In a world which emphasises individuality and difference, I hope 2023 will be a year when we reach out across what divides and separates us from one another. It’s time to heal the split between head and heart, between friend and stranger: a time for connection.
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Compassion is the most effective antidote to aggression: instead of opting immediately for retaliation, take a moment to empathise with the other person.
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Other people’s approval of you is gratifying while it lasts but problems arise when the need for it outweighs your ability to exercise choice.
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Notice the emotional signals your body sends you – they are an invaluable guide to effective communication.
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None of us can be blamed for what we feel – but we are responsible for how act on those feelings.
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Expressing anger is essential for our psychological and physical health: aggression does nothing but harm.
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Criticism can be informative and invaluable – if we learn first to listen to it and then respond appropriately.
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Take the time to experience silence every day, even for a few minutes: reach inside and remind yourself of who you are, the constant ‘you’ in the midst of all the roles you undertake in your life.
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Isolation undermines self-empowerment: take the risk of reaching out to share with others.
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One thing that matters above all is not to hide from the truth of any situation, even if you can’t change it: denial and pretence always weaken self-esteem.
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Never underestimate the transformative power of communicating with someone genuinely as an equal human being.
If you resonate with Anne Dickson‘s powerful message, you should try reading A Woman in Your Own Right, the pioneering handbook for female assertiveness – an indispensable guide to stating what you feel and want.
“The classic assertiveness bible” Guardian
In her pioneering handbook, Dickson draws on her long experience of in-person training to give all women the practical skills and tools we need to assert what we feel and want, manage difficult conversations, avoid being sidetracked by culturally learned behaviours, say ‘No’, and find self-acceptance.
