The Way You Communicate

How much attention do you pay to the way you communicate?  How closely do you consider your choices?

A few observations:

1. When I choose to listen to my neighbors and seek to understand them, their behavior becomes not so strange. And my chances for cooperation grow.
2. When I decide to listen first, ask questions and really understand another’s perspective before giving advice, I usually notice things that I otherwise would have missed.
3. When I have a disagreement with someone, and I decide to talk to them instead of talking about them to others, I often discover that the root of our differences is not what I first thought.
4. When I take the time to explain the WHY behind my thinking (to a colleague or child), the places where I live and work become incrementally more understanding.
5. When I make an effort to see others, really see them, and to allow myself to be seen, I am astonished at the way it improves my relationships.

It’s a new year.

This year, if you paid as much attention to how you communicate, as you do to what you accomplish, how do you think your life would change?