Five (Personal) Principles About Healing Conflict

From Lorraine Segal’s Conflict Remedy Blog

My blog has been a wonderful way for me to reflect on my fundamental beliefs about conflict resolution. Many times I would write a new entry, and then wonder uneasily if I was repeating myself.

I realized that although I offer different stories and contexts, a few principles about conflict and communication are at the heart of my writings. As this is the one year anniversary of my blog, I thought I’d share with you the principles I uncovered:

1. We all deserve loving nourishment, so we can grow, heal, and lead a rich meaningful life.

2. Much conflict and unhappiness come from poor communication, misunderstandings, and unrealistic expectations. We can our increase awareness and acceptance of differences (including cultural, generational, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientation, class.) We can learn to listen with compassionate openness and express ourselves clearly, honoring our inner truth and that of others.

3. Learning to forgive ourselves and others and letting go of resentments are essential aspect of healing. We need to accept that making (frequent) mistakes is simply part of being human. And changing our own attitudes and behavior, challenging though that is, is much more feasible than changing other people.

4. Workshops, classes, conflict coaching with individuals or small groups, mediations, and meeting facilitation can all be vehicles for healing conflicts and communication problems.

5. Transformation, healing, forgiveness, and joy are always possible. And I wish for each of us to find and walk that path.

                       

Lorraine Segal

After surviving the 50's and 60's, as well as twenty years in toxic academia as a tenured professor, Lorraine Segal was inspired to started her own business, Conflict Remedy (ConflictRemedy.com), happily teaching, coaching, blogging and consulting around workplace conflict transformation. She is addicted to reading novels and enjoys walking and… MORE >