Hello, welcome to the Excel Stillmore podcast.

I am your host, Chris Emerson, and we are here to talk about tips and strategies that you can employ to deepen your faith, improve your relationships, and just get the most out of your life.

Thank you for joining. Let's get started.

Okay, so welcome back to the program. I have to tell you, I'm really excited about today's topic.

I've been wanting to talk to you about it for maybe six weeks or so, but I just couldn't come up with the imagery that would really make the idea pop that could kind of tie everything together in a way that had a chance to really make a difference.

But then, I don't know, yesterday it just kind of came together.

So we're going to give it a go.

Here's the overall topic regardless of the imagery.

I love having great conversations.

You know what that's like, right?

Maybe it's you and one other person or a small group.

And talking and listening just feels very natural,

very productive. You say some things, and they listen to what you say. They say some things,

and you listen to what they say. Everybody feels like they matter. Everybody feels heard.

Everybody feels respected. And you walk away from that

great conversation and you feel like you've learned some things, which is great. And you also feel like

you may have contributed to encouraging them. I love conversations like that. But I got to be honest with

you. They do not always go that way.

Instead of feeling peaceful and easy and enjoyable, a lot of conversations feel forced. They feel

uncomfortable or one-sided. Sometimes selfishness is put on full display in conversations, and I don't enjoy that.

I don't enjoy it when someone else is monopolizing the topic and making it all about themselves.

I know you don't either. And when I walk away from a conversation, and I felt like that's what I did, I monopolized it.

...