THOUGHT BYTES
Empowering the Heroic Soul Within
by Renée Taintor
DECEMBER 2022:
ARE WE COMMUNICATING?
COMMUNICATION is one of our greatest challenges as human beings. We don’t always understand what someone is trying to say to us. There can be emotional frustration on the part of the communicator as they try to convey their thoughts and feelings to you ~ if you don’t understand or grasp their message and meaning right away.
To make it simpler, try to see communication as if you are trying to give a “picture” to someone . . . or as if you are trying to receive a “picture.” You either have enough information for a clear picture or you don’t. And you, as a conscious creator, are in charge of asking the questions to ensure that you have a clear picture of what is being communicated.
As an example, a teenage boy tells his mother he’s going out. That’s one piece of information, but not enough to make a clear picture for the mother. So the mother then asks, When? Who else is going? Who’s driving? What are you going to do? And when will you be home? With more details gleaned through the questions she asked, the mother now has a much clearer picture of what’s going on.
Remember, the person who is giving the picture and offering the communication already has their picture. Have patience when you are communicating your picture to someone else. Let them ask questions. And if you are the one in need of greater clarity, don’t be surprised if people get frustrated because you want to ask questions. Just remind them that you are trying to get a clearer picture. And if YOU are the communicator, if you feel that the people receiving your words and message may not yet have a clear picture, then you can step up and ask questions of them to make sure greater clarity ensues.
Asking questions to ensure greater clarity in how and what you are communicating to others is a soul skill. It is a tool of self awareness. And it is an essential skill in our world today.
Additionally, it is good to have the awareness that people sometimes make assumptions when they are receiving the picture. People often fill in the blanks or the gaps in that picture, instead of acknowledging those same gaps and asking for more information. When they “fill in the blanks” so to speak, assumptions can be the result. And assumptions often don’t make a picture clearer. They ultimately can make it murkier, causing dissonance or discord with friends, family members, co-workers, and others. As an example, two people who are in a hurry might agree to meet in an hour at the last place that they had lunch. Both assumed they each had a clear picture. One thought it was a particular restaurant, and the other thought it was a different one. It would have only taken a few seconds to verify and make sure each person had the right restaurant. This could have saved or spared the frustration of finding out later that they both had different impressions and expectations of where to meet, and this ultimately left them waiting for someone who wasn’t coming.
Because communication is so important in our daily lives, it calls us to take a closer look at our skills in “giving pictures and getting pictures.” Are you clear on what you want to communicate in most situations? Are you making assumptions of what the other person may or may not be clear on? Can you be patient while the other person is building their picture from the details you are providing and what you are saying? The only way to find out is by asking questions. It takes two to communicate.
Lastly, it is important to note that this is also important when communicating with yourself. Are you clear on what you want or where you stand on certain issues? Are you clear on your desires and goals? Take the time to commune with yourself and check in with different areas and aspects of your life. You can build a strong, empowered foundation for yourself when you take the time to get a clear picture of who you are and what you stand for. There is no time like the Present Moment to get clearer in our communication. The greater our clarity, the greater our own sense of inner peace can be with Who We Are and with our ability to communicate our heart’s intentions and awareness with others.
