Never Underestimate the Power of Your Perception

“Assume the best about people and watch how anger and stress fall away.”  I don’t know who coined that statement, but I imagine most of you have heard advice about perception similar to this over the years.  But, have you ever put it to the test? It took a tragedy in my family, and the unchartered journey that followed, to convince…

Be Happy Now (Life Lessons from Bishop and Sadie)

Lately I’ve been spending time intentionally observing my dogs. I’ve always enjoyed watching their antics, but I’ve been watching them from a “conflict resolutionist” standpoint.  (Wait, I think I just made up a new word – “resolutionist” – I like it!) Anyway, I have two dogs.  Both are rescues. Both are happy. Sadie is the…

Why Are You So Difficult? Tips for finding the opportunities within conflict

“Why is he/she fighting me on this?”…“How come every time he/she opens his/her mouth, I get aggravated?”…”I’m right darn it! Why can’t he/she understand that?!”… I’ve heard variations of these questions posed many times over the years. Heck, I’ve been known to ask them myself. The answers to these, and every other conflict-related question, are…

puzzle pieces

Could We Both Be Right? It’s a Matter of Perspective

Three blind men went to the circus and encountered a mysterious beast. They were fascinated by the energy coming from it, and each touched it in order to figure out what it must be.                 “It is like a mighty snake!” one man exclaimed.                 “No! It is thick and stable like a great oak!”…

Lifesaver float

Need Grace Under Pressure? It’s all About the Preparation.

Don’t you know someone who always seems to have it all together?  That person who can reason and stay calm when others are melting down?  The one who stays focused and productive during adversity – even leads others to a good result despite a major cog in the wheel?  Rest assured his/her grace under pressure…

Fear of public speaking

Stop Hiding Your Brilliance and Succeed at Public Speaking

Did you know, according to many researchers, public speaking ranks as the most terrifying thing a person can attempt to do? If you Google “top fears”, regardless of the researcher or institute, public speaking consistently makes it into the top five – usually #1 or 2. It outranks snakes, flying, confined spaces, heights, and even intimacy. Yikes!

Love, Lies and Mudslinging: Welcome to Mediation!

Love, Lies and Mudslinging: Welcome to Mediation! Mediation can be a stressful and arduous process. Emotions often run high as positions are expressed and interests are explored. Sometimes participants are even surprised by the twists and turns the process takes, as motivating factors and priorities are brought to light. Not long ago I mediated a…

Navigate Through Tough Days

Every now and then, a day comes along when it feels like “Murphy’s Law” is working overtime. I had to navigate through one of those days recently. It went like this: I had a Monday morning mediation in Naples, with six participants that were all traveling from out of town to a neutral site.  I…

CONFLICT = OPPORTUNITY

How to recognize the opportunities hidden within conflict Conflict happens.  Did you ever hear the one about the elephant and the three blind men? Three blind men went to the circus and came upon an elephant. There were no elephants where they came from, and they were thrilled to encounter such a great beast. The…

Conflict = Opportunity Kick-off!

Recognizing the Opportunities hidden within Conflict CONFLICT = OPPORTUNITY! Hi! Welcome to the first edition of Conflict = Opportunity!, a monthly newsletter about mediating through life, written by me, Karen Pelot. As this is the introductory edition, I decided to reintroduce myself to you, and begin to spark your interest in the ongoing story of…