Today, I want to talk about why communication is the most important skill you could EVER develop!
If you’ve been following me for any time now, you know I’m extremely passionate about one thing: Enabling people to take full advantage of the one life that they have to live! Well, if we do desire to be successful, and truly live the life of our dreams. Then we MUST become excellent communicators because everything that we could possibly EVER want in life is directly influenced by the relationships we have! Basically, you can’t get much done in life without other people!
When you open your mouth, people listen.
Here’s a story from my freshman year in College- I was a person that thought I had it all together. I was physically fit, and I was crushing it in the classroom. I thought of myself as the alpha of all alphas, the leader of all leaders. But as this first semester went along, I noticed something peculiar begin to happen.
I noticed that as I was performing at such a high level, I was also seemingly secluding myself from my classmates. I was always alone and no one wanted to bother with me! If I said “hello,” people would barely respond. It seemed as if everybody didn’t like me. I remember one time after class, I said a comment and people were rubbed the wrong way. I thought to myself, “What is wrong with them? They’re so sensitive!” Captain Sellers, who is now Major Sellers, brought me out of the classroom after class ended, pulled me to the side and said “I believe in you. I know that you are going to be so impactful one day, and this is why I’m about to tell you what I’m about to tell you. Listen, never forget what I’m about to tell you: When you open your mouth, people listen!“
This made me realize that since people listen to me, I had to become a person who could communicate effectively and influence people in a positive way rather than a negative way like I was doing.
There is a difference between what you mean to say and what people will perceive you saying.
I can’t even begin to tell you how on many occasions, I would say one thing and people would take it a whole other way. Have you ever experienced that? Where you said something and then someone took it in a totally different context? How is there such a big disconnect?
Tonality.
How are you saying it? Using the range of your voice will dictate different things to different people at different moments. As a communicator, it is essential for your tonality to match what you are intending to say.
You tell the world who you are by how you speak.
We live in a “skin deep world” as Denis Waitley would say. This means that people are going to judge you not based on who you are initially, but based on how you communicate; it’s a first impression.
First impressions are vitally important. Yes, you want to look good, you want to have a nice suit on if you go into a fancy place. Yes, all of that is important. But the most important thing and the one thing that separates you from everybody else is your ability to speak & communicate in an articulate and convictive way.
So I urge you to ask yourself this question: “When I open my mouth, who do I tell the world I am? Do I tell the world I am an educated, well-read, and ambitious person, or do I tell the world that I don’t take myself seriously enough to work on my communication skills?
Your level of competence is oftentimes judged by how well you can communicate.
You could do the greatest job in the world, but if you can’t adequately communicate how good of a job you’ve done, then nobody’s really going to know. Yes, results speak for themselves, but there’s a lot of times in life when you have to go to bat for yourself. You will have to be your own best advocate at some point!
Unfortunately, when this time comes, and let me assure you that it will, if you can’t open your mouth, communicate your ideas, thoughts, and beliefs, then people are going to automatically think that you’re not a competent person!
Yes, allow your results to do the talking, but also you’re prepared to talk when you have to as well! Your ability to communicate will bring you to a whole new level!
Your story, your words, YOU – you can save someone.
I have seen friends of mine who, through their words and through their ability to communicate, have saved people from going off the ledge. Yes, it is that important.
You can have all the skills you want in the world – you can be great in Microsoft Excel, you can be a great project manager, you can be great at Photoshop and Premiere Pro. You can be great at all these things, but none of those will save somebody’s life. Your words and your ability to communicate will, so it’s your obligation to become as competent as possible.
Somebody’s life depends on your story.
Maya Angelou once said, “I hate being asked if I’m a natural born communicator.” She responds to this question by saying, “Show me a naturally gifted heart surgeon.”The point being that you will never find one! They get their by (1) Training (2) Choice, and communication works the same exact way!
You have the infinite potential within you to totally change someone’s world, but it’s only possible if you are able to communicate in an effective way!