Game Plan implies intention. STOP. Reflection is one of the most underrated experiences in our society these days. Committing in advance to how I will be in situations, is a strategy to make things easier. For example, if you believe that only good is ahead in your life, then it doesn’t matter exactly what happens because it will be good. The future is always a concept from the present moment.
We have infinite options in how we frame up what we choose to focus on and flow within our life. Having a plan, for example, that we will breathe through things and not let external events control our internal emotions, you already know what you will do in tough situations. Easier said than done, but at least you will have a plan and know what team you’re on.
Communication can be the most ambiguous word in our language, after all communication constitutes everything that exists. Is there anything that isn’t communicating something, an opportunity to receive a message and simultaneously communicate back? We all have our own unique experiences in receiving messages, based on our perspective. Consider how we choose what we focus on, and choose what it means to us. When we are attempting to communicate with others, what we say can be interpreted in infinite ways. How we say it is part of the message. Some of these considerations are a topic for another article. What is communication?
“She doesn’t speak English or German,” he told me. We were in Spalt, Germany. “Let me try to find someone that could translate.”, he said. In my travels I have found that a smile says so much more than words could serve. How can we be new friends if we don’t speak the same language and we don’t have an interpreter? She was from Poland and we found a translator, but how much did that even help our communication? How much of communication is nonverbal? Communication becomes ambiguous as a term as it applies everywhere. What does how you care for your body say about your relationship with yourself? What does your positive posture say about the way you regard and carry yourself?
Different physiology; the way we sit, walk, stand, lay, smile and even tilt our head, communicates influence with the chemistry in our body. We directly think thoughts, and we indirectly act on our beliefs. The thoughts that repeat begin to get supported by emotions, and neurological pathways are made measurable in the brain where it’s easier to think similar thoughts. It is important not to see things for worse than they are to truly be realistic. Some thoughts connect with positive, joyful, healthy emotions. It is important to capture disempowering thoughts that are lies, and make them obedient to the truth. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many pictures are you painting with the actions and behaviors in your life and what do they say?
How did I know she was kind, if we couldn’t speak the same language? When someone you love passes, you will hope they know how much you love them. How we walk and talk communicate how we feel about ourselves and others. Maybe the gal from Poland and I had a great time together because we both love life. The experience is a great example of how much communication is beyond words.
Showing up early, prepared, and on time, deciding in advance of a kind of helpful attitude, being clean in dress and language, and standing with humble confidence, says more about you than words could. Listening is one of the most valuable, and valued skills. Truly being a good listener will communicate more than a thousand words.
“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” – Dr. Stephen R. Covey
“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can.” – The Little Engine That Could
We frame things up in infinitely unique ways through our perspectives. Let the truth empower you, evaluate thoughts, and don’t sit with lies that have you framed up in a disempowering perspective. Be intentional, it’s more than the words we use that communicate love, safety, support, stability, and health. It is in our choices, habits, and the way we carry ourselves and our attitudes. What do you want your communication to say about you? Include unconditional love in your communication game plan.