The second 'M' in the word Communicate is "Movement"! This 'M' is the catalyst to building healthy relationships in life. You must take action in order to create vibrant, healthy relationships not only with others, but with yourself as well. We must Care first, then Observe and find ways to Make Time to communicate, but these are not effective unless we "MOVE!"
Here are a couple ways you can build the second 'M' in Communicate:
1. As you are involved in interactions, take note of what is occurring. Create a journal of the interactions and begin to discover what it is you are wanting from this relationship. If the interactions are stale or involve conflict, discover what is missing and causing these to occur. Don't just wish it to be better and think that it will fix itself sooner or later. If you do nothing, then nothing will be resolved and the issue will always continue in that relationship. You must take action and create movement. The simplest way to handle conflict in a relationship is to ask questions that force the other person to reflect on themselves and respond. Don't ask questions that create a defensive stance, just questions that help you clarify the issue. Let them know you understand their position, but that you want clarification. It is really simple, but takes some practice. Just be observant ('O' - truly listen an observe) and then clarify those points around the issue that is occurring. Please contact me directly via my website www.thetajlgroup.com, my email at thetajlgroup@gmail.com or pick up my book on Amazon Kindle - The Tattered Cover Book Store - or via my website "Tennis Everyone! An Empowering Way to Improve Your Interactions with Others" to discover how to create effective interactions.
2. Overcome your fear. Courage is to face uncertainty without being overcome by fear, doubt or to be distracted from your purpose or goal. You can simply do this by taking action. You don't have to jump into an argument, but influence the other person through your actions. Don't worry about what they may think or that you may have lost, but just stay focused on your goal in the relationship. Do not take action with the thought of winning, take action with the tools of Care, Observe and Make Time. Put your purpose in front of you and move with your passion. Do not create outcomes in your mind that keep you from being honest and moving forward. If an interaction begins to become 'heated', just smile and ask that you continue the interaction at a later date. Never give into the temptation of having to win or becoming defensive. Just be honest and kind, your actions will influence them over time. Consistency builds courage! Be yourself and don't try to change others as you never will be able to.
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