Communicate

We always hear that communication is the key to a great relationship.

Have you ever paused to think what that means? When someone tells you "communication is vital", we often only think of it in certain aspects of our lives.

For example when you go to an interview you will tell the panel that you have "excellent communication skills"; and you are probably correct in making that statement - because you have excellent communication skills AT WORK.

Good communication should not be a factor of you location or situation. If you're a bad communicator at home, with your family, with your loved ones; then I would think that you're a BAD communicator with your boss, with your peers and with your subordinates.

I do not consider myself an excellent communicator therefore I couldn't even begin to tell you what to do to become one. All I can tell you is that communication can make or break any relationship; your relationship with your parents, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best friend, your boss, your peers.

Different books can surely give you ALL the nice and lovely definitions of what communication is. I have noticed that good communication boils down to one thing - An Expression (verbal or written) of the truth!

Whenever I have expressed myself -thoughts, feelings etc. - to the other party in a truthful and honest manner (respecting the other person) I have never felt the ramifications of "bad" communication.

I've also noticed that once you have expressed your feelings then one can conclude that you have communicated. Well here's the catch, if you didn't express your feelings to the person who is suppose to hear those expressions, then you're still guilty of bad communication.

You can't tell the priest something that you're suppose to tell your mother, or vice versa. Issues arise when we "communicate" with the wrong people. Yes there is such a thing as communicating to the wrong people.

For example, and women, let's be honest we do this all the time - you're sitting at your a table at a bar telling your girlfriends everything that you want to tell you boyfriend. Once you've got it off your chest you think everything is fine. There is an example of communicating with the WRONG people. If you want to solve a problem between yourself and your boyfriend then it may just make sense to discuss the problem between yourself and your boyfriend.

Yes I know as human being once we have voiced our opinion we have a tendency to believe we have "communicated" and we are free to move on to the next trial. Well that usually leads to the millions of situations that people find themselves in which is a result of bad communication.

So although I said earlier I'm not an expert at communication I would say that it is the one thing that keeps challenging me in every aspect of my life. I don't feel stressed by it just much lighter every time I've made progress.

Try it! Communicate the truth! to the right person and see how your communication skills really start to improve.