Imagine the world without communication. It is like seeing the world in total darkness, looking at a picture with no subject, or writing on a paper by the use of a pen with transparent ink – there’s no life. It seems so impossible to live life without it.
We watched two very informative video clips from TED.COM at Centrex. From these, I learned that “Communication is life itself.” According to the speaker, it was not just a use of language, but it was also all about obtaining and giving ideas through good speaking and listening as well.
The discussion enlightens me until now that the art of communication is the most important life skill that every individual must attain. The main aim of communication is to uplift understanding between people. It doesn’t matter how we express – it may be verbal, body gesture, sign language, written or even eye to eye – as long as we can comprehend each other’s thoughts, that is communication. Without this, we cannot express our thoughts and feelings to other people; we will not be able to transfer and receive knowledge; and most of all, we will not be able to resolve conflicts.
However, communication requires listening. It is all about conducting an exchange between us and others – giving and receiving. Good communicators know how to listen. This is a mental process where we ‘extract’ everything significant from what we heard. By this process, we are not just making ourselves clear to other people – we are also relating our life challenges on the situation that they are going through. Understanding despite of differences is uplifted by listening.
The last week’s topic actually made an impact on me. The overall session made me realize that sometimes, I must get out of my comfort zone and be a competent leader. I admit that I was once a shy-type person. I hated speaking in front of many people because I was a pessimist – thinking that people around me would judge me. But I was wrong. When I learned proper communication, it led me to a lot of opportunities inside and outside the school; it helped me express my true self and gain true friends who accept me as I am; and most of all, it helped me build strong bonds with my fellow students and fulfill my responsibilities as a student leader.
In a quote by James Humes, a former presidential speechwriter, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” Communication is not talking alone. It is an extraordinary “art” that can empower people and change the world.
*I wrote this journal last year (2015).
No comments:
Post a Comment