Have you been swearing this whole time?

When my little Sarah was almost 2 we realized that she was going to need speech therapy.  We worked tirelessly in getting her the help she needed.  Diction and especially S sounds were very difficult.   Through years and years of daily drilling and practice Sarah finally was able to be understood.   One fateful day in our car she spilled her treat and yelled!  Sh**  I almost fell of my chair.  She said it so confidently that I realized that she must have been saying this for quite some time, but she had just mastered the blend of SH which means for the first time we actually understood her.   This made all the difference in how we taught and corrected bad behavior.  

Habit 5 says Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Communication is key for success in any situation.   We sometimes mess up the order of this habit.  We jump right to being understood.   We talk talk talk until we are sure that the listener has gotten our point.  However, we must learn to listen first.  If we ask questions so we can understand only, then can we be on the same plane where they can understand what we are trying to convey.   We must have a perspective when we are trying to communicate that depends on not only speaking with power but listening with the same amount of devotion. 

We want to move forward with passion.  We want to accomplish all that we are hoping for.  However, we need to remember that it is not just about us.  It is also about others in our realm of responsibility.  Are we listening to their needs and their desires.   For instance, going back to school full time and working full time needed a great deal of communication.  I truly needed to hear what my family was saying and make sure we were all on the same plane.  Before I talked about what I would need to accomplish this, I needed to hear what their concerns were.  When we accomplish this habit, we will be propelled further in our passion, we will be able to understand the goals and needs of those around us and we will be better communicators.