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ONE STEP AT A TIME, GRASSHOPPER –ENJOYING EVERY STEP ALONG THE JOURNEY IS IMPORTANT. SOME PEOPLE SAY, “LIVE IN THE MOMENT,” BUT I SAY, JUST MAKE SURE YOUR FEET AND YOUR HEAD ARE ON THE SAME RIDE.

EWM: Have you always wanted to be lead to be in your current position on TV?

LD: I always wanted to do something that I thought helped people. Honestly, as a kid, I only gave the news a little thought. I wanted to be a cop, a teacher, a detective, a lawyer…you name it! But the common thread was a job that helped people during difficult times. I narrowed down my interest in writing, research, and storytelling in high school and college. Then – the universe helped me out, and one internship turned into a radio job, then a TV job, and another. And here we are! I thought the news was an excellent way to give people the tools to navigate the world.

EWM: What is your greatest accomplishment?

LD: That’s easy! My daughter Madeline. When I look at her, I wonder how I created this perfect human being. She’s 3 años y es TREMENDO!

EWM: What are your future goals?

LD: Raising a strong, thoughtful, kind, and intelligent young woman. Anything more than that is icing on the cake.

EWM: What are the positive impacts of being a Hispanic Woman on TV in a significant market?

LD: Great question! I can’t tell you the amount of pride I feel every day knowing that I represent Latinos in Chicago. It’s the honor of a lifetime! I would like to think that my presence on WGN lets little girls all over Chicago know that there’s a seat available for them too.

EWM: How do you balance life and work?

LD: It depends on the day. Some days I manage, and some I struggle… just like every working mom. It’s a work in progress. The truth is that I have a great husband. We’re always helping each other out. And our parents are instrumental in keeping the train moving. Right now, I’m working nights which means that Madeline is picked up from school by her “nana” some days and her “abuelo” on others.

EWM: Who is your role model?

LD: Every working mom who makes it look easy…you have my eternal respect.

EWM: Do you have a favorite quote? Or a motto you live by?

LD: “One step at a time grasshopper” – It’s important to enjoy every step along the journey. Some people say, “live in the moment” but I say, just make sure your feet and your head are on the same ride.

EWM What are your biggest challenges, and how do you overcome them?

LD: Challenges are tough because they’re always changing. But they make life interesting. Right now –the biggest challenge is just keeping all the balls in the air. There is so much news these days that it’s tough to keep an eye on every moving part while also making sure that your child is picked up from school. Some days – the challenge is stopping long enough to enjoy the view.

To be a safe and predictable person for those around you at work and at home, it is essential that you can maintain your composure when you feel like your ‘buttons’ are being pushed. This strength will help you to achieve your goals in business as well as your goals for your relationships.

Top 10 Tips on Managing Conflict, Emotional Tension, and Anger

1. Please just share negative emotions only in person or on the phone. E-mails, answering machine messages, and notes are too impersonal for the delicate nature of negative words. What feels like a bomb on paper may feel like a feather when delivered in person.

2. Pepper your responses with the phrase, “I understand.” This phrase will support your goals when the tension is high, and you must find common ground to form compromises or agreements with the other party.

3. Take notice when you feel threatened by what someone is saying Resist the temptation to defend yourself or to “shut down” the other person ’ s communication Becoming an open, trusting communicator will take this kind of discipline

4 Practice making requests of others when you are angry. It is often much more useful to make a request than to share your anger For example, if the babysitter is driving you crazy by leaving dirty dishes in the sink, it is better to make a request of them than to let your anger leak out in other ways such as by becoming more distant.

5. Try repeating the exact words that someone is saying to you when they are in much emotional pain or when you disagree with them completely This mirroring technique can keep both the speaker and the listener ‘centered’ in a difficult conversation, especially when the attitude of the person doing the mirroring is to gain an understanding of a different point of view.

8. Take a playful attitude towards developing the skill of emotional self-control in high conflict situations. You could view maintaining selfcontrol in a tense, angry converstion as an athletic feat. You could also view developing this skill as similar to working out at the gym with weights – the more that you use your self-control muscle the bigger it will grow and the easier it will be to remain calm when tension is great.

6. Take responsibility for your feelings to avoid blaming others Notice when ‘blameshifting’ begins to leak into your speech “I feel angry when you are twenty minutes late and you don’t call me ” is much better than, “You make me so mad by being late.”

9. Wait a few days to cool down emotionally when a situation makes you feel wild with intense feelings, such as rage. As time passes, you will be able to be more objective about the issues and to sort out the truth about the situation more clearly

7 Learn to listen to the two sides of the conflict you are in as if you were the mediator or counselor If you can listen and respond this way, you will bring peace and solutions to the conflict more quickly For example, in response to an employee’s raise request, you might say, “On the one hand, I understand that you need the raise, and on the other hand, I represent the company whose funds are very scarce at this time. Is there a way that I can work on your compensation package that does not involve cash?” Here, the mediator’s point of view can look for a creative compromise that considers both parties' limits and needs.

10 Make a decision to speak with decorum whenever you are angry or frustrated. If you give yourself permission to blow up, people will not feel safe around you. They will feel that you are not predictable and will carry ‘shields’ when they are near you. The fear and walls of others will not support your goals for success in relationships or at work.