Communication

Sometimes we wish that life could just run smoothly along without any interpersonal difficulties. However, this is not the way it is.  Disagreements are a part of life and relationships. However, disagreements, even those that lead to arguments, do not…
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Semantic noise is something that we all need to be aware. Semantic noise is the interpretation of words and phrases that distract us from the meaning of the communication. Here is an example: Shirley : Did you see the movie…
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There are few things more mortifying to a social butterfly (and to most people – let’s be honest, here) than to be deemed ‘boring’ by someone else. Whether they’ve overtly said it or are giving non-verbal cues pointing to the…
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For years I kept a poster in my office with the picture of a sad orangutan. It said, “I know you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure that you realize that what you heard is not…
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My First Year in Toastmasters: I Survived! “Hi, uh, hello. I’m Diana, and I was thinking about joining Toastmasters…maybe.” No, I wasn’t quite that timid when I walked into my first Toastmasters meeting a little more than a year ago,…
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Over the years both from experience and research, it has been observed that one of the biggest fears most people have is the fear of public speaking. Apart from the fact that people generally are always anxious of public speech…
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The Toastmaster’s organization exists to help people become better public speakers, so if you attend a club meeting, expect to be invited to speak! Don’t let this put you off going though. Most people find it difficult to get up…
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Several years ago, while visiting friends in Salt Lake City, I stopped at a local Wendy’s for a quick bite to eat. I had ordered my food and was just sitting down to eat, when I noticed a somber looking…
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When I arrived in this country I believed that I spoke well and that the ability helped my position in my company because I could explain what I was doing and the results that I was getting. I didn’t think…
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Starting an open line of communication between parents whether biological or step-parents can be a difficult process, yet can be made easier. One can do this by taking the necessary step to ensure that everyone’s voices are being heard.  In…
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Over 5 years ago I joined a Toastmasters group in my area. This has been one of the best things that I have ever done. Initially, I wanted to improve my sales meetings with my staff. I thought that attending…
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Kids need love and attention from their parents to grow into happy and healthy adults. They need to feel secure about their world and surroundings so they will not be afraid to try new things. There are many ways parents…
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Jealousy has a mind of its own. The owner of jealousy hears things and sees things that were not said or done.  The behaviour exhibited is that of “clingy, insecure, smothering, and delusional”.  Taking things out of context because they…
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Toastmasters While Toastmasters began in America, they also have a major role in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The purpose of Toastmasters is to teach people to develop their public speaking skills. Those faced with having to speak in public…
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The usage of the word Offence confuses me in this instance. I do understand the context of fairness. Man, I am going to take a beating for this but here goes… When students say, “This is so unfair.” They are…
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The “instant” family you get upon marrying can be nice or it could bring on a whole new set of problems. Most of us have experienced or know someone who experienced the difficulties of having nosy in laws. The intricate…
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Whether or not you like your in-laws, you might feel that they are sometimes nosy. Parents, in general, want to be able to know how their children’s spouses are and how the marriage is going, so in-laws might feel overbearing…
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Everyone has an opinion. The question becomes ‘how will you express your opinion’ as opposed to ‘whether or not you should share it?’ Too many times, people get turned off by *in your face* people who act like their opinion…
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Respect is a virtue that a rational human being desires to give and receive. Be it your boss, subordinate, colleagues, husband, wife, child, parents, sibling, relative, in-laws, neighbour; everyone merits respect. It is an attitude that makes relationships work and…
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Does your car need gas?  Do you get your furnace serviced regularly? A relationship of any sort is an investment and it needs to be nurtured to thrive.   Do you go to your mechanic to get investment advice?  So…
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Parents shape our dreams whether they intend to or not. Every word and every action of a parent influences a child, especially in the formative years. A single sentence or action can shape a child’s life well into adulthood. Because…
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Quite often when people get hurt or are made angry by the actions of another, their thoughts immediately turn to finding some way to hurt the person that did it. Unfortunately, this human trait is not something that works very…
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Body language makes up 90% of human communication. With only 10% being verbal. You can learn almost anything about a person if you learn to read what their body is telling you. If you look for just a few telltale…
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Remember when you were small your parents would take you to parks and other social places in order to encourage you to make more friends! When parents are aged and lack the confidence to go out it becomes the child’s…
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Smaller. Personalised. More versatile. Global. These are the watchwords for future communication technology. By the middle of the 21st century, the way people interact with media, conduct their business, operate their appliances and stay in touch with friends will be…
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There is nothing worse than being bombarded with insults without having an adequate comeback to use to truly show that other person who the real boss is.While of course classic adages like I know you are, but what am I?…
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“I don’t have the energy.”  “He won’t understand.”  “He’s just a baby.”  These are a mere few of the excuses parents give when it comes to putting young children in time-out.  However, the sooner you can begin teaching young children…
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Embarrassing comments can leave you wanting to sink into the ground and disappear. Not only can they be humiliating, but they rarely result in a fast one liner as a witty, or intelligent response. Because embarrassing comments are likely to…
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Lying in a relationship is never a good thing; however, some lies are worse than others. Lying about the relationship itself is certainly not going to grow a healthy, loving relationship. Some of this falls under game-playing, which is another…
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If you spend a good portion of your time home alone, or even have those occasional stretches of time that you find yourself flying solo, you may spend some of your time wondering what you should do. Being home alone…
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