Communication

Why is communicating so hard? Why is saying what you need to say, appropriately, such a freaking mine field? I have learned that when in doubt, writing it down is the best course for me. And if it's a really emotionally "loaded" conversation, to put it on a 3x5 card a head of time, take it with me, and use the card!! DO NOT GO FREE FORM , here. Stick to the contents of the card. If I go "off card", I can promise you something might fly out of my mouth that I will later regret. I don't care if I look like a complete nerd with my card--if it works for me, I don't give a rats rear what somebody else thinks. I also like writing it down since I can always go back, edit, punch up, lower the voltage, etc. And reading it out loud to yourself is really helpful. You won't believe some of the stuff we say, not realizing how it sounds. We are too busy saying it to "hear". Once it's said and is out in the atmosphere, there are no do overs as we all well know. I also like the 24-48 hour rule. It's fine to do your card or cards, as the case may be--just sit on them for the 24-48 hour time period. Often times, more information is revealed that can drastically alter your card's contents. Or, you may not even end up needing your card. Helloooo, shredder.