Communication is Key!

Communicating is something we take for granted, whether it is related to work or hanging out with friends. Using verbal cues is crucial to how we get our point across indirectly whether we mean to make them obvious or not.  Have you ever walked into a store and the lady at the counter says, "Hello, what can I help you with?" or how about, "Hello, hi there! How are you today? I love that shirt you have on! Rolling Stones is my all-time favorite band! What brings you in today? Is there something I can help you find?" Which person would you like to do business with? Or who would you like to engage in conversation with?

This brings me to what I learned back when I was 16 years old as a sales associate for Just For Feet and Finish Line. You have less than three seconds to address someone when they walk into your business or when you have an agenda to accomplish. This can be done with grace or take a turn for the worse. So let's just be kind and see where this will lead us. 

Communicating with a sense of understanding someone regardless of whether it is related to us or not, is how it all starts just by listening. This can make or break a conversation with someone if you decide to not listen to them. 

My question today is: why are some people hard to deal with or simply unwilling to cooperate? Their behavior may be complicated, frustrating, or downright terrible, but the reasons can be quite simple. It may be caused by past traumatic experiences: struggling with something in their life, or a previous abusive relationship, which can include emotional, physical, mental, or verbal abuse, causing emotional pain that can't be seen. This leads me to believe that they have not completely healed and until they do they hurt others as they have been hurt.

My previous experiences with abuse were not pretty by any means. I had to undergo counseling and turned to my church as well. However I did this for myself, and not for anyone else. I did not want to continue to take my hurt out on anyone else. It wasn't always clear to others, but it was necessary for me and a benefit that I would be able to share with people later on. I believe that forgiveness is the foundation of being a Christian. Without this ability, can we really be strong Christians? We are all human and continue to make mistakes. 

My advise is be kind and give each other grace as God does to all of us! 

Love Shell