👀 🎥 Click here to watch my video about this topic.

What makes a conversation feel difficult?
When you think about it, difficult conversations are often challenging because they touch on emotions—and I’m not just talking about the other person’s emotions. I’m talking about yours as well, the person for whom having the conversation is difficult. This isn’t just about managing the reactions of the person you’re speaking to. It’s about handling your own emotions, too, as you approach a topic that stirs something deep.

Some of the hardest conversations are actually the ones we need to have with ourselves. We’ll save that topic for another time, though.

The Fear of Judgment
When we open up, we become accountable for what we’ve said. Suddenly, we’re putting our feelings and opinions out there, making it possible for someone else to judge us. We fear being judged in the moment or, sometimes, based on what we choose to do—or don’t do—after the conversation.

And that brings up the key component in all of this: judgment.
Most of us don’t want to be judged, and for a good reason. There’s always the chance that, based on what we share, the person we’re speaking to might start seeing us differently. We’re scared of that shift, and in delaying the conversation, we feel like we’re in control of the situation. As long as we don’t address it, we can avoid the risk of being judged.

Letting Go of Control and Our Image
When we finally “face the music” and speak our truth, we’re forced to let go of how we want to be seen by others. We release control over the image we’ve built and put ourselves in a place of vulnerability. This is extremely difficult for many people because it requires letting go of others’ opinions. But on the other side of this fear lies something freeing.

We’ve all heard the saying: “The truth shall set you free.”
I genuinely believe this. If we can let go of our fear of judgment, if we can embrace whatever fallout might arise from speaking our truth, we gain something priceless: freedom. When we confront difficult conversations head-on, we can breathe easier, knowing we’ve done our best to be real and honest. And that’s all we can do.

Avoiding Difficult Conversations is a Form of Control
Here’s the reality: we can’t control other people’s feelings, actions, or reactions. Avoiding a difficult conversation is just our attempt to delay or control an outcome we have no true control over. The longer we avoid it, the longer we keep ourselves tied up in knots, trying to hold onto something we can’t really grasp.

The Next Time You’re Avoiding a Hard Conversation…
…Remember that there is freedom in letting go. It doesn’t mean you won’t face judgment, but if you’re committed to being the best version of yourself, judgment won’t hold power over you. In fact, people often respect you more for “owning your truth” and facing what’s hard.

So the next time you catch yourself avoiding a difficult conversation, try to remember that while judgment may come, it can’t define you. There’s real freedom in releasing control and standing by what you believe in. People will respect you a lot more for owning your truth and facing the music.

👀 🎥 Click here to watch my video about this topic.