Communicate with Awareness
As I sit and reflect on the concept of awareness, my mind goes in many different directions. From the basic understanding a person has of what is going on internally and externally, to the impact we have on each other, to love languages, to mind-body connection, and the vast forms of communication. If you have been around me, especially within the past few years, you have probably heard me say “words matter” at least once or twice and encouraged you to be intentional about your word choice! Because words are IMPACTFUL and presentation MATTERS!
People use words to communicate thoughts, feelings, opinions, needs, desires, and so much more. Often times, people attempt to communicate their feelings and needs without spending the time to be fully aware of what is going on inside themselves and what is going on for the other person. Unfortunately, there are so many communication pitfalls and breakdowns that leave people saying, “what just happened?,” “you’re not listening,” or “that’s not what I meant!” The amount of ways communication can break down is unfathomable; and yet, when we have high levels of awareness of the messages we are attempting to communicate AND the goals we want to accomplish, PLUS awareness of our audience, it drastically decreases the possibilities of communication failures.
Sometimes people hesitate to communicate directly for concern of potential conflict and fear of causing pain; that’s where awareness comes into play! When we spend some time figuring out what we are specifically trying to communicate with someone and the reasons behind it, then we can create the best suited presentation that will accomplish our goals.
Before talking, reflect on what you truly desire and hope to accomplish with the interaction, reflect on what emotions or thoughts you have in the moment—how they can impact the delivery and where they are rooted, take time to consider your audience, and have awareness of your desired outcome. That may seem like a lot, but not in comparison to the time we spend on conflict resolution and healing! These aspects of awareness will help you stay on the same page with your loved ones, friends, co-workers, and peers, while communicating your feelings and needs. Communication can be quite simple when we have awareness.
If you’re interested in more strategies and tools to communicate with awareness—please click the link to take our questionnaire and schedule a complimentary strategy call with me or another certified Live Life Fully Coach!
