Name it, to tame it

Are there any elephants in your room right now? Honesty and directness - true dialogue - can be uncomfortable. Or that word - 'confronting'.

And because we like to avoid discomfort, it’s tempting to allow some topics to remain unaddressed. But...

The Beach Ball Effect

When we suppress something important, it is like pushing a beach ball under the water. If feelings are not dealt with, they erupt more violently than needed, usually hitting and hurting whoever is nearby.

So we need to learn to name things. To discuss the undiscussable. And doing this helps reduce their emotional charge. And moves us forward.

A tip to get started: begin by naming it to yourself. Sometimes we avoid even this. Notice the relief it can bring to stop pushing things down.

A problem defined is a problem halved.
Name it, to tame it.

What's not being said? What's the elephant in the room? What can you do to name it?