Throughout my childhood and into my young adulthood, something I have always valued is communication. In my family, it is something that has always been a core value.
Problems, fights, good days, bad days, anything in-between – you guessed it, we communicated. In my family, we raised our voices and we rarely spoke softly. If you wanted to be heard, you had to verbalize your thoughts.
Growing up shy, this was difficult for me at first. But when I came out of my shell, I never wanted to feel silenced again. I wanted to speak when I wanted to, convey myself how I wanted to, and more. When people took the time to listen to me, I felt respected. I felt heard. To me, communication was so powerful.
Living away from home due to attending college – I had to learn to communicate with people in other ways. I grew up in a family where we said exactly how we felt. We expressed it boldly and bluntly. Not to mention, honesty was imperative. I grew to realize – not everyone has the same ideals.
Everyone wants to express themselves, but not everyone feels comfortable doing so, verbally and honestly. Not everyone can handle direct confrontation, being corrected, or even redirected.
To me, this was stunning. And at times, this was troubling. Although it is beautiful for people to be sensitive, it can be stifling.
As mentioned, communication has always been so important to me, but I found myself struggling at times to communicate with people who avoid communication. Until, I realized that the thing about communication is, in order to do it properly – is to learn how to deliver the message effectively.
Is your tone kind? Is it the right time? What are your intentions behind delivering a message? How long did it take for you to finally speak up? Were you silenced? Did the person you conversed with acknowledge you?
Sometimes, people are so afraid of expressing themselves, that they live in disharmony without thinking or acknowledging that change can be made.
Sometimes, the direct key to getting what you want is to literally just ask. People do not even realize this, but there is just this astronomical fear of being rejected or misinterpreted or maybe actually even being heard.
We live in a day and age where communication can be conducted face-to-face, via email, through a text message, over the phone, through a computer screen – you name it.
Let us all try and better ourselves. And communicate wisely, with love. Communicate the changes you want to see in yourself or others. Deliver messages with care. Express yourself without second-guessing.
Just be courageous. Speak up when nobody wants to. Push to use your voice when it may be uncomfortable. Never let fear win. Never allow yourself to regret the chance to communicate.