<p>Not all conversations in life are easy. As you get older, you will likely have to have some tough conversations with people you care about. If you can handle these conversations the right way, you'll be able to preserve your relationships.</p><h4>What Makes a Conversation Challenging?</h4><p>There are many reasons a conversation may be challenging. You may have to tell someone something you know they don't want to hear. You may also need to talk about something uncomfortable. Maybe you need to ask something and you're afraid of the answer.</p><h4>How Do Challenging Conversations Make You Feel?</h4><p>Challenging conversations can make you feel a lot of emotions and most of them are negative. You may feel anxious, afraid, angry, embarrassed, and uncomfortable. Let's look at some examples.&nbsp;</p><p>Macey got in trouble for defacing school property. She has been suspended. She is nervous about telling her parents what she did.</p><p>Rodrigo found out that his brother is stealing cars. He needs to talk to his brother and tell him what he knows. He also wants to offer help, but he's afraid of his brother's reaction.</p><p>Sun made fun of a friend behind his back. His friend found out and now he has to apologize. He feels embarrassed about his behavior.</p><p>Ellie's friend has been treating her unfairly. She ridicules Ellie and makes her feel bad about herself. Ellie wants to confront her, but she feels anxious.</p><h4>Tips for Navigating Challenging Conversations</h4><p>The best way to navigate a challenging conversation is to be open and honest. Make your intentions clear. If you are in the wrong, then apologize. If the person knows that you care about them and are trying to help, then the conversation will go much better.</p><p>You should also choose the right time and place for a challenging conversation. Don't try to talk to someone when you're around a lot of other people or if the two of you are angry or in bad moods.</p>