Practicing Communication
María Elena Centeno, Motivational Trainer
Communication is the most complete expression that a human being can perform because we have been communicating with everyone for a very long time.
I will restrict myself to communication among people from the oral point of view, the physical, emotional, and printed styles. I understand there are many more types of communication.
Taking into consideration that by definition, communication is the action to making contact and is the conscious activity, read it well, conscious of exchanging information among people. It is important that when we do it, we can, not only make ourselves understood, but understand the other speaker because a lot depends on that.
What depends on communication? Something simple that sometimes can be marvelous or catastrophic. It can be war or peace among ourselves. Our personalities are, in grand part, defined by our verbal, written, physical, and emotional communication.
Do we show who we are through communication? It is clear certain facts are necessary to analyze a person through her or his communication. It isn’t that easy to combine verb and body, nor facial expressions with emotions, and least of all using the written word to have an idea of what a person really is.
When we don’t have facts about communication, we move on to assume, suppose, believe, think, not listen, not observe not understand, etc.
On the other hand, communication is a cycle that starts, changes and stops. It consists of basic elements for its execution. It has barriers and besides it contains subjective elements that influence what we are trying to communicate. But more important they determine the effect we can cause.
The extent of our knowledge in communication is like having a formula to get to know people. I understand we all have a natural sixth sense—that sense everybody talks about, but doesn’t know how to manage it. We might sense somebody else’s personality, but we are not certain of such.
There are people who are good oral communicators; some use their bodies to do so. Others use facial expressions, emotions, or their writing ability. But when you can combine all of them, you will be closer to really know others.
To really know somebody, you need to know facts, and personally, I believe that facts are vital for communication. Why? Because sometimes we spend our lives next to somebody we do not know, and, only after a while, we start discovering those elements that tell us how wrong we have been, how little time there is left, or simply the time is gone.
When we realize this, we become morose and listless, surly, or super friendly. We go from one extreme to the other trying to justify our behavior or denying it so we won’t have to accept our error.
On the other hand, there are those who develop their sixth sense earlier so time grants them opportunities. On the other hand, they might immerse themselves so much in their intellectual abilities and in their success meeting the mediocre standards of our society that, just like the one that ran out of time, they will justify themselves; but this time vanity and ego will fall on them.
In conclusion, “The Communication Exercise” demands we become aware of all these elements, subjective and objective, and practice them in order to understand the variety of ways people use to communicate. This exercise in communication demands knowledge. Knowledge saves lives, but ignorance ends them.
