SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED

My usual nightly routine is to turn on the fan, turn the sound of rain on, calm my mind and drift into "stage 1" of sleep.

During which, I consciously purpose my thoughts to ponder over all the things that I am grateful for. If a negative thoughts pops into my head, I counter it immediately. The days that I struggle, this can happen 30 times in an hour and 30 times I have to replace it with a thought of gratitude for whatever the situation may be.

I typically turn the sound of rain off after I feel relaxed enough but last night, I must have slipped into a deeper stage of sleep. I woke up abruptly and had the title of this blog in my head "SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED."

I wrote it in the notes section of my phone because I have learned the hard way that if I don't write important thoughts down I will inevitably forget.

Side note: God encourages us to write things down all throughout the Bible not necessarily for the purpose of memory but more so for importance.

Upon waking, I began seeking the Lord for a greater understanding.

In my ebook "Do Words Teach?" I ask a rhetorical question - "can we listen with our eyes?"

Listening is paying attention to a message in order to hear it, understand it, and physically or verbally respond to it.

Most of my learning is done with my eyes. I learn from watching body language, I learn from watching interactions, and I learn from a person without them saying a single word.

I'm sure you will agree with this as one of your styles of learning as well, as most of us including children learn from behaviors. "Do as I say, not as I do" is an old adage that needs to be thrown in the garbage.

Picture this scenario - a heavier set woman walks into the gym. She has her head hung low, not making eye contact with anyone. As she heads toward a cardio machine, she looks around several times to see if anyone is watching her. Before she begins her exercise regimen, she tugs at her shirt to be sure that her stomach will not be exposed as she starts.

What will your eyes tell you about this woman? If her demeanor was speaking to you without using words, what would it say?

Watching body language can be effective at times, but most certainly can be misleading. Thus it is of great importance to not rely on learning through body language alone.

In a previous blog, I spoke of wisdom and some of the benefits of utilizing "her." Effective communication requires great attention to what you say and how you pay attention but to further elaborate of this, I believe one of the missing links is body language.

I can be attentively listening to what a person is saying, but if my eyes were to wonder throughout the room, the speaker could think that I was not paying a bit of attention to them. This is the beginning stage of misunderstandings.

Another important aspects of body language when listening is your posture. Even in a relaxed environment, an important conversation could be miscommunicated if either are slumped over as if they could care less about the topic.

If you as the listener, what to demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest, it is essential that you place emphasis on your body language.

As the speaker, you want to display confidence, knowledge and a good balance of friendliness to ensure the listener is receptive.

Following these techniques will create an atmosphere for effective communication. Being mindful of how you walk, your body posture, facial expressions, making adequate eye contact (if you stare at a person intently without blinking that's flat out scary haha,) will initiate others to draw toward you.

Peace, tranquility, love, joy, patience, understanding, knowledge, wisdom, quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to get angry are inward attributes that will ultimately reveal themselves outwardly.

This presence that you will emit, can and will without question, inspire others without you having to say a word.

"Therefore, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Through our mere existence, we have the power to ignite a fire within others and motivate others to reach their dreams.

It is the way we carry ourselves, how we handle challenges, and the way we embrace life that can inspire. Your silent influence can transcend barriers.

YOU ARE DESIGNED TO REIGN IN LIFE

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