Todos pertencemos. Unidos somos mais fortes.

We all belong. Together we are stronger.

We’ve all got families: birth, chosen, adoptive, step, nuclear, extended. Whatever type of family is yours, along with the joys and shared milestones, there’s sure to be a common factor: conflict. Although each family constellation is unique and special and may be united by love, respect, and shared values, all families do have some unresolved conflicts. In my experience, there are common family conflict themes. Money, communication, and time are three familiar topics. 

There are all kinds of time and we’ve each developed a diverse menu of time types. How each individual handles time and how time decisions affect others are often a source of conflict. Time causes conflicts. Time can resolve conflicts too.

You know about lanes. The remarkable thing about street lanes is that they are understood, respected, and effective for drivers as we all go about our lives. People stay in their lanes without a whole lot of fuss and bother. We count on lanes to keep things simple, safe, and predictable.

How and when and where did you learn about how to handle conflicts? Most of us have learned our personal conflict management approaches from the modeling of others. Throughout your life you were watching, observing, considering, and trying out new methods and developing your own style as a conflict resolver.