I am making a conscious effort at communicating better because I believe this is one area of my life that needs development.  As a natural thinker I tend to keep my thoughts to myself instead of communicating them effectively.  Don’t get me wrong, I am an excellent communicator, but, only when I want to discuss the topics that interest me.  However, when I’m talking about improving my communication skils, I’m referring to my human connection and communication with others.  I am speaking of developing my ability to communicate my thoughts on a level that allows the other party to understand or create their own conclusions of the facts I present.  Often times I forget that people do not think like me and that creates frustration in both myself and the other person because there is a huge communication gap.

My inability to communicate stems from my lack of awareness in reading others needs.  I recently told you that I read a book by Jan Spiller who explains certain traits that we need to work on in this lifetime in order to develop ourselves spiritually.  The main lesson for me in this life is communication.  I am a very informed individual, however, I tend to keep all the knowledge I have attained to myself.  What purpose does all this studying serve if I cannot teach others of my findings?  I naturally isolate myself and avoid discussing certain topics because I feel others will not understand me.  Most of the time that I did try to discuss my findings I was shut down by the audience.  They either lost interest or it just didn’t mesh well with their beliefs.  I realize today that the information I presented is not what they shut down, but rather, my approach and how I presented the information.

I mentioned before that I have a tendency to think others already think like me.  When in fact everybody in this world has a very unique way that he/she thinks.  What I need to focus on in this life is to connect deeper with mankind on a human level, not just a worldly and universal level.  I need to stop assuming that everyone will understand my words because I understand it.  I have all this information in my head about how to attain spirituality and enlightenment, however, it is not being properly conveyed because I am not actually connecting with others.  In this life, I am here to learn how to communicate these lessons to others in a way that will allow others to become enlightened on their own.  Going forward I need to express my ideas as thoughts that I incept into their minds and have it simmer there for a while.  I am here to create a ripple effect.  Although I may not get my point across by doing this, I will connect with people this way because I got them thinking of something their minds never realized or had knowledge of.

If anyone ever watched the movie Inception, they will understand what I mean.  My approach needs to be catered to each individual by learning and understanding their needs based on their current life situations.  After connecting, I should communicate my ideas by way of asking their opinions on it.  I shouldn’t just talk about my idea, rather I should discuss the idea with the other party.  Have them give me insightful opinions based on their knowledge, even if they are not knowledgeable on the subject.  By not judging others and actually actively listening to their feedback I am giving the other person a chance to see things from my perspective and voice their opinion on the matter.  By having them discuss the topics they engage their mind in a subject that they possibly never thought about.  This is real communication.  I didn’t have to force anyone to believe what I believe, instead I got them forming their own conclusions, whether correct or incorrect.  This creates a ripple effect in their mind and allows them a chance to research the topics on their own and learn more about it in their own time.

My personal challenges have helped me relate to others in a way I never imagined.  Now, I know that I need to keep connecting with others in the way I know how, while improving my communication skills.  I have to practice communicating better and I can do this by not judging, actively listening and asking questions that allow the other party to participate.  A real teacher can only open doors for his/her students. A teacher cannot force a student to walk through that open door. I am learning that I am that teacher in life that will open your minds door. I am here to open doors for anyone who is seeking enlightenment, whether its in love, life, spirituality, or etc..

Time to reflect:

Have you ever felt like you are a teacher, however, your students are just not listening?  Maybe it’s because you are the person not listening.  Think about it.  Everyone you have encountered, have you actually listened to their side without already judging or making your own assumptions?  I urge you, that if you are a teacher of this lifetime, open yourself to the knowledge others have by asking questions and getting to know their mind.  This is the only way two minds can exchange ideas.  So, accept others for their opinions without judgement and help open their minds by opening your own first.

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ~ William Arthur Ward