Weekly Newsletter: Communicate Clearly

​     Many relationship problems can be traced to communication failures. When you combine weak communication skills with impatience you have a recipe that’s ready for disaster. Even with the best of intentions we sometimes find ourselves being misunderstood. As a writer my job is to communicate clearly. Unfortunately, that skill isn’t always within my grasp on the written page or in my personal life.
     I have learned some tricks that help, but the occasional blunder still comes through. In my writing, the secret lies with rewriting. It helps to walk away from what I’ve written and then return to it later. After time has passed, it becomes more apparent if my communication is clear or muddy. The more I rewrite, the better I communicate.
     Relationships also work better if we take time to hone our words before blurting them out. Unfortunately, the “rewrite” needs to occur before the communication is spoken, not after we’ve hurt someone because we failed to speak with accuracy and kindness. Communication is an art, and with any artistic endeavor, practice and patience go a long way toward helping us master our craft.