Communication Counts

Last week my wife, Debby, wrote a Monday Message about how some of the most significant moments in life involve words spoken out loud. It was a great message to remind us of how our words, when spoken from the heart, can generate feelings of love, and being appreciated. I think she is right but I would like to take that idea one step further.

As a business owner, who at one time had over 100 employees, I learned a lot over the years. I learned that if you work hard every day, put out an honest effort, and make integrity a necessity, all those things will help you succeed. But the most important thing I learned was something I had plastered on a huge banner right outside my office. The banner read, “Communication is the single most important factor that leads to success in any business… and in any relationship”.

Unfortunately, being able to express yourself clearly, and effectively, is hard for some people. Expressing emotions is even harder, especially for men. But if communication really is the most important factor for success, we ought to be working on it every single day.

My wife and I are deeply in love, even after 26 years of marriage, but we work hard at it. We write each other love letters all the time. We have special words and even secret numbers that we use to express our love. I know it sounds nuts, but if we are in a crowded room with lots of people and lots of noise, we even have hand signals we use to express our love to each other. All of that is communication, and since it’s from the heart, it is definitely the language of love.

Early this morning I was performing an Ultrasonic Pole Inspection at a retail shopping center. I took a break around 10:00am to go into a fast-food restaurant for an iced tea. Before I went in, I texted my wife to ask how her morning was going and to tell her that I love her and that she is always on my mind. I know… I should have used my phone to call her instead, but I was in a hurry to get back to work and texting is so fast! Excuses, excuses!

As I entered the restaurant, I noticed four workers with orange safety vests on. They were the same four guys who had been up on the roof all morning, working in the hot sun. Their job was obviously a lot harder than mine, so I don’t blame them for taking a break. But what I noticed, was that all of them were sitting at separate tables, each one texting intently on his phone. Maybe, just maybe, they were texting their wives about how much they love them. Wouldn’t that be great communication in action!

A good relationship starts with good communication.    

                                                                                   ~ Anonymous