Today I was anticipating a difficult interaction that had me in a bit of a panic. It was on my mind during class when I was giving my students some goal-setting tools. In just talking it out, although they didn't know my goal example was real, I was able to find a solution.
When I entered the meeting, instead of having anxiety and coming from a position of weakness, I entered with a solution. How empowering to be able to present an alternative scenario and come to a mutually-beneficial understanding. We did have the difficult interaction but I was well grounded and not overwhelmed by the confrontation.
Being an ENFJ in the Myers-Briggs personality types, I do not love confrontation. On top of this, I am very much about helping others' reach their goals. This combination is a recipe for potential anxiety when dealing with difficult situations. However, I navigated it well. Plus, I turned to some colleagues to get input on solutions - getting the situation out of my head and making it less emotional.
Maybe I am more mature at 42.
