Master the three levels of effective communication

Communication is a dialogue, not a monologue. We must respect the viewpoints of the person or persons we are communicating with. Communication is the art of being sensitive and sensible at the same time. There are people who make perfect sense, but they are insensitive. They say the correct things, but they are not aware of the emotional response of the audience. We need that beautiful combination of sensitivity and sensibleness.

Suppose you see someone breaking some rule. If you get angry and frustrated on seeing this, you are only making yourself miserable. Instead, educate the person about it. If they are not willing to understand, then you need to ignore and move on. You cannot improve someone else by getting angry at them. A calm state of mind, and a smile, will conquer the most difficult of people.

In a society torn by strife, humour is like a breath of fresh air. A good sense of humour relieves you from fear and anxiety. Humour is the lightness of your being that brings out the authentic humour. This lightness comes with taking life itself not too seriously, having a sense of belongingness with everybody (including those who are not friendly), practicing yoga and meditation, having unshakable faith in the Divine, being in the company of those who live in knowledge and are humorous.

In head to head communication, you talk. In heart to heart communication you communicate. Almost all relationships break down due to too much talking and explaining about oneself. When the heart speaks and the heart listens, harmony is produced. 

Whether in one-to-one communication, or in addressing a huge audience, something intangible moves people more than the words. We try to rationalise by attributing this to charm, charisma etc. Real communication is beyond words. if your mind is calm, you will find yourself suddenly being able to influence individuals and masses. 

Good communication lies in the skill of listening. to feelings and expressions. Somewhere in the journey of life, we have lost this ability. Let’s make an attempt to regain it. We need to establish communication on three levels – communication with oneself, communication with society, and communication with nature. There is always something to share, learn, and teach.