Communication

Communication. What is it really? By definition, it is the transfer of information from one place to another. This can be done through many avenues such as verbal, physical, touch, writing, and so on. It is a tool used to help us connect to others. But it can also break us apart.

The best things in life can be broken or destroyed by poor communication. Personally, I have seen many friendships, sexual relationships, and even countries go to battle over miscommunication.

People are human. We are all different and have different perspectives on life...on how we see things. And that plays a key role in communication. It’s not what you say, but what people hear.

Communication is not just words. You can say so much without even really speaking. Let's not forget about all other aspects of communication. It's your body language, it's the tone of your voice, it's the pace of your speech...it's the choice of words you choose. And last but not least, it is our facial expressions. All of these combined or even just a few put together help us to define what information it is that we are taking in.

Words are so powerful. Words are so powerful that they can ignite revolutions or defuse tension. Words can let people see into the heart and mind...they reveal intentions, emotions, and so much more if we truly listen.

But there are some or even many that are master manipulators....this is when communication gets slippery. And for those who think they are manipulators...Hiding behind abstract language is not the answer. The people you are spatting words to are not as dumb as you think. I for one, will just let you ramble and ignore what you say because I have more important things to worry about that your words and I pick and choose my battles. But there will be others that will challenge you and call you out. And if it is a friend that is challenging you...you just might lose a friend or at best strain the friendship.

When typing, writing, or texting communication can become even more difficult when trying to get your feelings across. Don't get me wrong, texting has improved communication in many ways and some might venture to say that it has made our lives a dat bit easier. But one could also argue that you cannot feel through a text therefore getting a miscommunication about said text. So how do you clarify things then? I rather just call on the phone to hear the voice or just wait until I see them face to face. But life doesn't always allow us those options so we have to be brave enough to ask in text "What do you mean?" or "Please clarify". You might ask, "How do you actively listen when it is in text?". All I can say is to ask them questions to clarify what was said in text.

Overall, my advice is to actively listen to the people you communicate with. Listening is a very important part to communication. Let the person know how you heard them. That way IF your perception is off then they can correct you without it blowing up into a fight. Try to leave emotion out of things if you can (just when trying to make sure you are understanding correctly what the other is saying - I am not saying to leave emotion out of everything). That just brings in the drama. I will use myself as an example: I always try my best to communicate well, especially with my dyslexia...I am always trying to remember to repeat what I hear to make sure I understood what was being said to me to avoid misunderstandings.