Make peace……confront sooner rather than later……..

As well-intentioned as we may be in desiring to avoid conflict and “keep the peace,” we create more problems we must face later by running or playing hide and seek. Then, when we do face matters, we’re not the people we once were. 

Avoidance is a quick-change artist! It changes us in ways we are likely to regret. 

We cannot solve or improve what we will not face. Denial gets us no place worthy of the journey or the unintended, unwanted destination. Until we gather the courage to look difficult situations directly in the eye and expedite what is necessary to face the difficulties, conflicts will stay as they are and they’re likely to deteriorate.

What we avoid shapes us in ways we may never notice. We modify our habits in order to sustain our denial and avoidance. We change our friendships in order to sustain our patterns. We go out of our way to keep the peace but the new path is one to further avoidance. Our defensive habits defend us in unhealthy and unhelpful ways and make us into people we’d rather not be. 

Avoidance of necessary battles creates unintended distance from others — even those we truly love. 

There is no worthwhile substitute for early honest approaches to family or business conflicts. 

Avoidance makes the heart grow harder. 

Ours.