I am thankful for you, readers. Your curiosity, encouragement and growth mindset make the world better. I wish for you a cornucopia of meaningful conversations around your dinner table this season and always. It may be the only thing that really matters when we gather with others. My gratitude gift for you is sharing Celeste Headley’s “10 ways to have a better conversation.” Her Ted Talk is here if you want to listen in more detail. Enjoy your feast of learning, sharing, supporting and laughing with others.

1. Don’t multitask. Don’t be half in it. Be fully present.
2. Don’t pontificate. That’s boring. Enter into every conversation assuming you have something to learn.
3. Use open-ended questions. Who, what, when, where, why, how. Great examples: What was that like? How did that feel?
4. Go with the flow. Your mind will get distracted. Thoughts and ideas will enter. Just let them go. Don’t stress. Let them pass.
5. If you don’t know something, don’t fake it. Just say you don’t know.
6. Don’t equate your experience with theirs. It’s not about you. No two experiences are ever the same.
7. Don’t repeat yourself.
8. Stay out of the weeds. You don’t need to share every detail. That’s boring, too.
9. Listen. Receive. Appreciate. Ask for more. Listen.
10. Be brief. (See #2 and #8.)