The Quiet Morning
Name the feeling
Your partner Riley hasn't looked you in the eye at breakfast. She keeps stirring coffee that doesn't need stirring. Something is sitting between you.
From the work of Marshall Rosenberg
Practice a talk you have coming up
Pick who it's with and what it's about. You'll get the closest short scene. Then you can try what you'd say.
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The Brother's Call
Say back what they feel
Your older brother Theo showed up at your apartment door at eleven at night. He has not done that in months. He came in without explaining. He is sitting at your kitchen table now. He has not started talking yet.
From the work of Marshall Rosenberg
The Good News
Get excited with them
Jen came over after work and could barely sit down. 'I got the residency.' Her face is bright. You haven't seen her face like this in a year.
From the work of Shelly Gable
The Long Silence
Let the quiet be
Your mother Nora stopped talking a few minutes ago. The kitchen clock is the loudest thing in the room. She just said something about your father and then went quiet.
From the work of Gail Jefferson
The Last Thing You Said
Bring it up gently
Ilir is your best friend since high school. Two nights ago at the café, he said something about your work. It still bothers you. He texted this afternoon asking to come by. He is standing in your kitchen now, jacket still on. He came across town to fix it.
From the work of John Gottman
The Apology
Own your part
You snapped at Maya in front of her colleague Sarah earlier today. You haven't talked since. Tonight you sat down across from her. She's letting you go first.
From the work of Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen
The Hurt Look
Name how it hit them
Tara is your close work friend in the same department. You and Tara were having lunch in the cafeteria and you made a joke about her morning presentation. She did not laugh. Her face changed. She has not said a word in three minutes. The room is loud around the silence.
From the work of Marshall Rosenberg
The Cold Spell
Come back in gently
It's been a tense week with Mira. Tonight feels lighter. She made mint tea and put two glasses on the balcony. The opening is small and you don't want to break it.
From the work of John Gottman
The Repair Try
Say you're trying to fix it
You have already tried to fix this with your friend Lena twice and missed. She is patient but tired. You want to name the trying itself.
From the work of John Gottman
The Favor Ask
Say no kindly
Riley asked if you can take her shift again this weekend. You can. You don't want to. You haven't said no to her in months.
From the work of Marshall Rosenberg
The Pile-On
Ask for what you need
Your friend Alex is venting about a third person. You agree with most of it. You also need a moment in the room for yourself tonight.
From the work of Marshall Rosenberg
The No You Owe
Say no and stay close
Your friend Saga came over after work. She needs the loan you had set aside for your mother. You already said no twice this month. She is at your kitchen table now, asking again, quietly. Your mother's photograph is on the shelf behind her.
From the work of Marshall Rosenberg
The Line
Say your limit early
Your friend Jen is about to ask you for something specific. You can feel where your line is going to be. Better named now, in the open, than discovered later under pressure.
From the work of Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen
The Promotion
Make their good news bigger
Tara just told you she got the senior director role. You can tell she's holding it back a little, watching for your face before she lets herself feel it.
From the work of Shelly Gable
The Engagement
Let your face match theirs
Your mother Nora has come over to tell you something. She is engaged again. She is happy and she is watching your face for whether you'll be happy for her.
From the work of Shelly Gable
The Small Win
Enjoy it together
Riley finished the painting. It is not a huge thing. It is also exactly the thing. She drove it over wrapped in a sheet to show you, just you, today.
From the work of Barbara Fredrickson
The Slow Light
Slow the good moment down
Your friend Alex started telling you a story about her kid's first day of school. You can feel her already rushing toward the end of it.
From the work of Barbara Fredrickson
The Pile-Up
Pause before you answer
Lena said the thing she knows will spike you. She is not wrong. You feel the response forming in your chest. You do not have to send it.
From the work of Stephen Porges
The Familiar Trap
Say what's happening in you
You and Theo, your older brother, are in the same disagreement again. About whose turn it is to step in for your aging parents this month. He is pacing in the kitchen. You both know the familiar trap. You can name what is happening or watch the loop play out for the fifth time this year.
From the work of Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen
The Trigger
Breathe, then answer
Your friend Saga mentioned the thing. Your chest went tight. She does not know yet that you are not in the room anymore.
From the work of Stephen Porges
The Argument Loop
Stop keeping score
You and Mira, your best friend since college, are in the same argument again. About whose career path was the smart one, whose field was the right call, the same lanes, the same defensive moves. You both already know who will say what. The pasta on the table is going cold. You can stop the loop now.
From the work of John Gottman
The Casserole
Let their care in
Your friend Maya showed up at your door tonight without being asked. She heard your week was hard. She brought food and a handwritten note. She's standing in your kitchen now, holding the dish.
From the work of Brené Brown
The Witness
Let them see you feel it
Your friend Saga just walked into your living room. She brought groceries on her way over. You are already crying about something small that wasn't supposed to land this hard. She is just standing there.
From the work of Tara Brach
The Letter
Tell them what it meant
Your friend Lena handwrote you a letter last week and slid it under your door. You finally opened it this morning. It said exactly what you needed to hear. She came over to have coffee with you.
From the work of Barbara Fredrickson
The Quiet Sit
Let them just be there
Your friend Mira drove over without asking why. She just sat down next to you on the patio. The sun is going down. She has not asked you a single question yet.
From the work of Stephen Porges
The Conference Coffee
Ask a question that opens up
You sat next to Mert at the tech conference coffee break. He is an engineer from Tirana you have never met before. You have twelve minutes before the next session. Both of you are a little shy. He just said hello.
From the work of William R. Miller and Arthur Aron
The Mentor's Office
Be curious about them
You finally got twenty minutes on Nora's calendar. She is two decades senior, busy, and mildly skeptical of meetings like this one. You are sitting across from her now. The clock has started.
From the work of Dale Carnegie and Arthur Aron
They speak first. Then you type what you would say, in your own words. Written choices are one tap away.
They speak first. Then you pick what to say from three choices, and see how they feel.
Go to this sceneOr pick one closer to your talk:
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