Communication

This week  learned more about the importance of clear communication. I won't talk about the actual things that happened in order to keep things confidential for the others involved, but there were a few occasions this week where miscommunications caused some misunderstandings and a little bit of conflict. Nothing major happened, but there was some added stress and anxiety because of simple miscommunications. I have learned that I need to talk less and use more small, concise phrases instead of talking a lot to get a small idea across. I tend to try to prove my point and convince others that I'm right, but instead I end up coming across very confrontational, even when I didn't mean that even a little bit. I also need to ask more clarifying questions if I don't know the full truth of a given situation. I tend to jump to conclusions when I don't have sufficient information to correctly do so, and it often ends up coming back to bite me. In order to do this, I have tried to be very open and honest with the people close to me so that they know I'm trying to work on that and they can be more patient with me as I try to ask better questions and clarify our conversations, even if that clarification happens after the fact. I feel that the miscommunications I've had this past week have helped me to see my weaknesses more clearly, helping me to overcome them more quickly and effectively. On another note, my communication with Heavenly Father needs to continue improving, too. My prayers had started to deteriorate and I wasn't receiving the power that is available to me through a stronger relationship with God and Jesus Christ. I have improved a lot in this sense during the past week, but I need to keep the trend of improvement moving in the right direction. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and for the gift of prayer that He has given to me.