Communication is key to the relationship you have with anyone

Are you listening and talking or just talking?

When we see someone new we could chose to say something to them or just walk past them. If you pick the last option you will see them once and will never see them again. If you start talking to them you might get to know them better and potentially become and remain friends forever.

As a baby we come into a world where nothing is familiar to us, we have to start learning everything from scratch. We don’t know what we are, what the creatures are around us and why they look so much to us. Depending on where in the world you were born the language your parents and the people around you speak is different. With hand movements and how people react after they say something we learn the new language and are able to start to understand them without even having to look at them anymore. From that point onwards it’s up to you and your family how you learn to communicate. Some become great at it and others will not learn too much about it. But no matter where you currently are at your communication skills you can improve them.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

Growing up many people start to pay less attention to communication. Think about your youth and when you turned 12-13 years old or maybe even 15 or 16 years. At that age most children look for some more freedom on their own and try to put a bit more distance from their parents. This is not to hurt the parents but to create some space and freedom to do what they want. Creating this space is great, but the way it happens feels painfull for most parents. Instead of communicating clearly about it most start to come home less frequently, come home later or close their bedroom door all the time. For some this may feel like communication, but closing a door in front of someone is no positive communication. It can give a clear message to the receiver, but not in the way it should be done.

Regardless of where you are in your life determine how well you communicate and attempt to improve in it. One of the easiest ways is to stop waiting for the moment you can start talking. Often we just wait, not listen to others, untill we can add something in the conversation. It will you help you out a lot more if you instead listen what others have to say and don’t feel obliged to rush into the conversation. Not only will your communication skills improve, you will be able to add more meaningfull opinions and information into the conversation and your relationship with the other person will improve greatly. When we are sitting with someone and they constantly talk we feel useless in the situation. However if the other person waits and let you speak you will feel a more positive vibe. Create this situation for others and you will see they will flock around you.