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Communication is a double-edged sword.
Communication serves as a bridge between two differing ideologies. However, it can also be the one tool used to dismantle, destroy, and cancel one another.
How we choose to use our words is up to us.
In our modern world, it’s easy to use communication as a weapon to support our egos rather than as a tool for understanding differences.
On the latest installment of the Inner Edison Podcast with Ed Parcaut, we talked about the importance of communication, and why it’s more important now than ever before.
We sat down with Jem Fuller, a coach, international speaker, and author who focuses on the areas of resilience, leadership, culture, and communication.
In his latest book, The Art of Conscious Communication for Thoughtful Men, he shares three ways that conscious communication can change our lives.
Open-Mindedness Matters
Let’s face it! In a world that’s more connected than ever before, we have become surprisingly numb to listening to opposing viewpoints.
Across the digital divide, we placate our egos with identity politics, guilt shaming, and cancel culture.
Jem states, “the word, communication comes from the Latin noun communicatio, which literally means a sharing and that the Latin verb, communicare means to make common.”
Our modern world is obsessed with sharing, and at the same time, it’s still possible to wonder if we’re even shallowly honoring the credo of communication at all.
In our race to be right we lost the art of communication when we need it most.
Modern-day problems require open-minded communication to tackle some of the world’s biggest issues, such as climate change, pandemics, and inequality.
Without open-minded communication, how can we feel hopeful for a shared future?
Consideration Matters
In our clap-back culture of being right, consideration rarely matters.
However, when was the last time you lost your composure during a heated argument and ever reached a resolution?
In order to share ideas, we need to be considerate of a myriad of alternatives to our own way of thinking and believe in the power of listening with the intent to consider another’s perspective.
Consideration is a prerequisite for conscious communication.
Consideration affects our intent, timing, and delivery of our ideas and allows space for interpersonal and cultural values.
Consideration is the only way to connect through shared commonalities. It is the bridge that can traverse distant cultures, value systems, and ways of thinking.
Teaching the Next Generation Matters
We have a duty as parents, teachers, and role models to guide the next generation towards conscious communication.
Invariably, it will be the future generations who will run the world, and a simple act of change today can plant the seed to monumental movements of progressive change.
The actions you take today, can shape how your child or student interacts tomorrow, so speak mindfully and with a conscious view of the future.
Know that what we say is never in a vacuum, and what we say today carries seeds that take root tomorrow.
The Art of Conscious Communication
In Jem’s book, he shares stories of his travels and wide experiences and how conscious communication played a critical role in bridging the divide between two very different cultural ideals.
He shares in intimate detail some of his most vulnerable stories to share how communication was key to his learning through experience.
If you’re looking for a way to make a difference, start with conscious communication. It will lead to greater interpersonal relationships, powerful teaching moments, and humbling revelations.
For more information about Jem’s courses, books, and more — please visit his website and follow him on social media.
As always, for more great interviews about business, entrepreneurship, and more, please tune in to the Inner Edison Podcast with Ed Parcaut.