“Do you want to be right or happy?” – Dr. Phil Introduction Some people seem to have the need to be right or at least convince others that their views are ‘right’ and the other person is wrong. If you enter into a discussion with them it quickly turns to a debate or an argument….
Robin hears a knock at the door. “Who’s knocking at the door. I’m not expecting anyone. I’m not ready for company. I’m not dressed. Look at my hair. Maybe, it’s just a salesman,” she said as she walked to the door trying to straighten her hair as she went. “Just a minute,” she yells. You…
Identify Your Thoughts and Emotions In order to make changes, you must first become aware of your automatic thoughts and associated emotions. Some changes are easy to make just by changing your automatic thoughts. Others are more difficult because the core beliefs are multifaceted and require more work. Start by making the easier changes first….
What’s a Me-Movie? We all know that movies are a sequential series of images and sounds that engage the viewers’ imagination to tell a story or create a perceived experience. Every life is a story. Let’s turn our attention to the perceived experiences of our lives that I will call your ME-MOVIE. According to the…
Introduction Emotional self-regulation or emotion regulation is the ability to respond to emotionally intense situations in a manner that is socially acceptable, yet, still remain flexible enough to be spontaneous in your reactions and maintain the ability to delay spontaneous reactions when needed. As adults, we must all learn to regulate our emotions, especially…
Introduction Have any of you ever, for one reason or another, been afraid to speak up and say what is on your mind, to give someone your opinion or thoughts about a certain subject? Are you afraid of the consequences of speaking up? In this post, I will explain ways to speak up even if…
Prologue In addressing the subject of intentions, I have found it to be rather nebulous and imprecise, but there are several important aspects of it that I feel need to be addressed in regards to communication. What is an intention? An intention is an idea that you plan (or intend) to carry out….
Robin Back On Assignment Remember Robin from Part 1 and Part 2? She was given the assignment to evaluate an individual’s communication. In Part 2 she was People Watching at the Ferry Building Marketplace where she observed a couple having an intense argument. After the woman threw the phone down and stomped off, the guy…
Elements of Communications In the scientific paper “Body Language Classification and Communicative Context” by Jianxue Yin, the elements of communication are grouped for better understanding of how they work together and separately. They are divided into three groups, Verbal, Posture – nonverbal and body language, and Social. In my last post, we looked at verbal…
Rate Your Distraction Level We’re surrounded by distractions, especially our phones. Are you paying attention to the conversations you are having or are you distracted by your phone and social media? What are your vocal elements telling others? In communications, personal or otherwise, consider your voice. Your vocal elements can help you be engaging…
