The act of communicating is the sole activity that all people share.  We communicate any time we share meaning.  People have been communicating for centuries, whether in times of great hardship or in celebration, around campfires, or in a teaching setting.  While communication often involves words, it is not always necessary to use language to convey a meaning.  When people roll their eyes, give a hug, walk away, blow a kiss, wave, huff, smile a smile, shake their heads, clench their teeth, or cry they are in fact communicating.  Although communication has been around since the beginning of time, the way we communicate today has evolved and has changed significantly in the last several decades.  

There is little doubt that the world is becoming increasingly fast paced.   The speed of connectivity provided through technology today can put us in touch with far away places with just the click of a button.   Even with the connectivity of all the communication devices we have access to, there seems to be disconnect that is associated with the fast pace we live.  Perhaps we are overlooking and bypassing some of the essential communication needs in the social sphere around us as well as within individual family structures.  Very few things in life are free of charge, but come at a high cost if not used effectively.  Communication is critical to the sustainability and functionality of the family system and social settings in which we live.  Communication is essential in life. 

Communication is the process of giving and receiving information.  Verbal communication revolves around not only talking but hearing what is being said.  Being an active listener is one of the highest compliments you or I can pay another individual.  Active listening is a communication tool that can help individuals speak with each other and be clearly understood.  Active listening is about focusing and concentrating on the person who is speaking. Being an active listener involves acting like a good listener.  In this fast paced world around us, we spend a lot of time tuning out all of the information that comes our way.  We need to change our physical body image from that of a deflector of information to a receiver.  Our faces contain most of the receptive equipment of our bodies, so it should be natural to tilt our faces toward the channel of information.  You can be a better listener if you look at the other person.  Your eyes can pick up the non-verbal signals people send out while they are speaking.     

Concentrate on what the speaker is saying.  Visualize what the speaker is saying.   You cannot fully hear their point of view or process information when you argue mentally or judge what they are saying before they are completed.  An open mind is a mind that is receiving and listening to information.   Acknowledge what you hear.  Acknowledging another person’s thoughts and feelings does not necessarily mean that you approve of or agree with that person’s actions or way of experiencing, or that you will do whatever someone asks.  By acknowledging what you hear and then repeating back in your own words the essence of what you have heard, from the speaker’s point of view, you allow the speaker to feel the satisfaction of being understood.  Ask good questions.  Effective listening is an active rather than a passive activity.  Active listening and listening responsively is a worthwhile way of letting people know you care about them. The greatest honor that can be given is your undivided attention.

Thought:  The most conceited individual in the world…..called Dial-a-Prayer to see if there were any messages.