Navigating a Difficult Conversation | CoreSelf Positioning in Real Life

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CoreSelf Positioning was created to help individuals realign themselves with their own values, acknowledge others needs, and move positively towards the resolution of daily challenges. CoreSelf Mapping, an active writing exercise, is part of the process, and can be critical to unlocking what keeps us “stuck” whether personal or professional.


Susan, a retired business owner, is no stranger to decision-making, but when emotions began to muddy the waters too much, she needed help.

Susan needed to have a difficult conversation with someone about a situation that had become emotionally complex, marked by family ties, unspoken expectations, and growing internal tensions. She had left people feeling stuck, anxious, or unsure of what to do next. Susan found herself looping through the same internal dialogue, replaying scenarios, and avoiding the conversation altogether out of fear or uncertainty. She needed a way to step back, make sense of all the pieces, and approach the situation with clarity, compassion, and purpose. That’s when she turned to CoreSelf Mapping.

Using CoreSelf Mapping to Navigate Difficult Conversations

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Difficult conversations are part of life, but that doesn’t make them any less overwhelming. The emotional weight of these moments can see all the different aspects of the problem, what you’ve tried, what matters most to you, and what resources are available.

Putting everything onto a page and looking at it all in one place can help stop the “spinning” and give you the confidence to finally move forward.

That didn’t mean avoiding the conversation-it meant having it in a way that was respectful, honest, and true to who Susan is. The map offers a balance of helping you stay aligned with your values while doing what needs to be done.

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If you’re facing a situation that feels tangled, emotional, or just overwhelming, CoreSelf Positioning offers a way forward with intention. You don’t have to have it all figured out, you just have to be willing to pause, reflect, and put it on paper. This isn’t about fixing your entire life overnight. It’s about taking one situation, one step, and finding your way through it, grounded in who you are.

Try a Guided CoreSelf Map, or read or listen to CoreSelf Positioning and see what opens up for you.

About the Authors

Tim Preston is co-founder of Simple. Not Easy., co‑creator of CoreSelf Framework, and co‑author of CoreSelf Positioning (2025). A former architect, entrepreneur, and business leader, he explores how individuals, teams, and organizations regain clarity, agency, and direction amid complexity and uncertainty.

Jonathan Thomas, MSW is a Bowen Family Systems practitioner, educator, co-creator of CoreSelf Framework, and co-author of CoreSelf Positioning (2025). Across five decades of work with children, parents, and families, he explored how people develop awareness, navigate relationships, and orient themselves during periods of challenge, change, and uncertainty.

Connect with Tim Preston

Learn more about JonathanTim & CoreSelf Positioning.