Thoughts on Communication

Have you ever realized how many forms of communication there are? We speak and we have body language, but we also have our own thoughts, dreams, intuition, and the ability to listen to ourselves internally. All of this encompasses communication.  Communication is about transmitting or exchanging information.  How effective are you in communicating, both with others and with yourself?  How often do you actually listen to your voice of intuition and inner guidance?

To me, effective communication means being truthful and direct with an open heart, and keeping our word. Many people feel compelled to communicate when they are angry and off-balance. But maybe it would be better to remain silent during those times, and instead, open up when we are feeling empowered, secure and balanced. Imagine how interactions might look if we only communicated from a place of feeling balanced, rather than upset.

Effective communication also encompasses the ability to listen. It is when we listen and turn off our responses that we are fully engaged with another person. It takes practice to listen effectively, and some don’t feel comfortable articulating the truth of what they mean or are not conscious of what lies under the words they speak. But with practice, you’ll learn to tell the difference between what someone is saying and what they really mean. After all, talking takes energy, so why not conserve our energy and practice listening?

Likewise, have you ever been in a conversation where you or the other party doesn’t stop talking? You continue to talk about your expertise, your successes, and are not engaged in what the other person is saying but rather, in what you will say next. When we compete with the other party, we show our insecurities by needing to justify ourselves. We communicate from a place of ego instead of heart. However, when we fully accept who we are, we don’t need to justify or share our victories because we are at peace with ourselves and what we know. There is no competition to prove we are better than the people around us because we are more open and engaged in the moment.

This topic is near and dear to my heart, perhaps because I raised a hearing impaired daughter to talk—and she taught me how to listen. I learned a lot about communication through her journey into the speaking world. She lost her hearing at 17 months and our journey in learning to talk and listen began. She is 23 years old now and an amazing communicator, with herself and others. I am in awe at her ability and how much she has taught me to listen and to honor the amazing gift of communication that we all have. She has taught me that the ability to communicate effectively takes commitment, practice, and the awareness to choose how we speak and listen. So I invite you to honor your ability to communicate this next month.

What is one small step you can take to become a more effective communicator?  Maybe it is being silent instead of always talking. Maybe it is listening more deeply to your inner guidance, or maybe it is being quiet when you are upset, rather than dredging it all up to someone near and dear. You could even try speaking up at a meeting in which you would normally sit back. Whatever comes to mind in this moment as you read this, take note. It just takes willingness to shift one small habit to enhance our awareness of how we communicate. Like everything we learn, it takes awareness and practice. And we can’t change how we communicate until we begin making small changes in how we experience ourselves.

Enjoy this wonderful season and listen to the sounds of fall all around you.

Live Well,

Katie

If you find this information valuable, please forward to a colleague or friend that may benefit from it.

If you are interested in learning about your personal communication style and how to exercise it with those around you, please contact me for a personal communication styles inventory assessment and consultation at katie@katiebsmith.com