Do you strive to get the RIGHT answer? Be faster, smarter, better, more efficient, etc.? Chances are, if you are like most, you were trained to respond that way. However, research and life are proving that slowing down may be better for our relationships and our health.

Ever feel put off by a doctor who rushed through your visit? Opted out of returning to a retailer because the cashier was too busy to pay attention to us or make eye contact? Connections are important. Conclusions may help on occasion, but get there too often or too soon and things unravel quickly.

Once we’ve reached a conclusion, we stop processing data. The only data that we DO process is what supports our opinion. And our window closes.

Fixed beliefs create challenges because people change. However, if our belief is fixed ~ we miss the opportunity to connect.

Next time you feel pressured to move faster, ask if you can afford to miss the connection. Pause and breathe. Show up with an honest curiosity instead of a sturdy opinion and see what happens.