We all communicate differently.

Some communicate with words.

Others communicate with action.

Yet it is all open to interpretation.

We feel that when we say one thing, that is what the other person hears.

Yet often the other person hears something completely different.

Sometimes our silence communicates so much more than our words.

And the story we make from the silence can be far different than what was intended.

This is why clear communication is so important.

Ultimately, we truly don't know what the other person heard.

Or how they will interpret what they heard.

We certainly do not know what story or meaning they will create from what we said.

So how do we communicate clearly when there are so many things that interfere with our communication?

With effort, acknowledgement and reflecting back what we heard.

The most important factor in clear communication will be our presence.

When we are truly present to the conversation we are having, we can feel what is being communicated.

When two people are truly present to a conversation, the words almost don't matter.

They will know what the other person is feeling and is they are trying to convey.

Presence is our greatest asset when it comes to communication.

Not just being present to the other person.

But being present to the story we are making from what we are hearing.

When we are self-aware enough to see our own internal meaning-making program in action, we can step back and refrain from creating a story around it until we are certain we understand what is going on.

This takes time.

And it takes practice.

Yet the rewards will be immeasurable if we stay with it.

Communication can be challenging.

The antidote is almost always presence.

So how can you be more present to the conversations, especially the challenging conversations, in your life?

~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant

Host of The Conscious Consultant Hour

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