One of the biggest determining factors for success in life is also the ability to have difficult conversations you know you need to have.

Avoiding a difficult conversation just because you are afraid of being uncomfortable with the outcome is cowardly. Nothing good ever comes from a decision made from fear. You can tell yourself you are beyond the ability to communicate because the situation has grown so toxic, but that is just a coward’s excuse.

The situation has become toxic as hell because instead of talking to the person you have an issue with, you’ve told everyone else about it instead. Some of the best advice I ever got was from my life coach, mentor, and friend, Creed Branson. He said, one of the best ways to have a conversation is to “shut your mouth and listen.” And when you are done listening, listen some more.

We are so caught up in wanting people to hear what we have to say instead of trying to hear what they have to say that sometimes both parties don’t even hear each other.