Communicating Effectively With Your Spouse

No matter how long the two of you have enjoyed wedded bliss, there is always room for improving your marriage. Sometimes, couples who have been together for many years begin to take the need for good communication for granted, and the result can be misunderstandings or no communication at all. Those who are just beginning on the marriage road will do well to heed constructive advice on the best methods for getting your points across to one another. Communication is one of the cornerstones to a healthy marriage,компютри втора употреба and time spent learning how to do it effectively will be time well spent indeed. Below are some tips that will help you to become a master communicator that your spouse is sure to appreciate.

  • Listen, listen, listen. Shall we say it again? Listening is the first step in knowing what your spouse is trying to tell you, and yet good listening skills are not necessarily something that we come by naturally. To really know what your mate is saying, you may need to hone your hearing so you get the meaning behind the words as well. Active listening involves repeating information back to your speaker to ensure that you comprehend the message accurately. It usually begins with statements like, “So if I understand you correctly…” or “What I am hearing from you is…”Active listening is the first step on the road to effective communication with your spouse.
  • Say goodbye to distractions. No matter how good you are at active listening skills, you will not be picking much information out of a dialogue if you are distracted by the kids, the telephone or the television. Find time to talk while the kids are outside playing, at a friend’s house or asleep. Turn off the television, and let the answering machine pick up your calls. Getting rid of potential distractions prior to a conversation will let your mate know that you think his message is important, and will open the door to effective conversation right away.
  • Say what you mean. When it is your turn to talk, don’t rely on your spouse’s intuition to pick up on your message correctly. If you would like your spouse to take the children to school in the morning, don’t start off by complaining about how you have to do everything during this time of the day, or talking about an appointment that you have scheduled for the following morning. Simply state your needs calmly and politely to your spouse, and you might be amazed at how receptive he is to fulfilling your requests. Remember, no matter how long you’ve been married, your spouse never signed on to be a mind reader. Don’t force him into that position, or you are both destined to be disappointed.
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Communication is indeed one of the most important components to a healthy marriage relationship, and the first step to constructive communication is to look at the other person’s point of view before you ever even open your mouth. This will ensure that your spouse never has to feel defensive during a conversation, or hunt in vain for the meaning of a message that you are trying to convey. When good dialogue is present between a couple, many other positive factors will fall into place as well.

For more marriage self help tips, please visit, Fighting For Your Marriage.

September 11th, 2007 by Admin in Self Help Marriage | Comment (1)

Make Them See your Point with Visual Aids

If you have done a lot of public speaking, then you probably already know the value of using visual aids to get and keep an audience’s interest. If you are new to the public speaking scene, you may very well appreciate having a point of interest that the audience can focus attention on rather than on you. Visual aids can be the key to successful public speaking, when they are used well. And once you have a few basic guidelines under your belt on how to effectively utilize visuals in your speech, the sky will be the limit in finding ways to illustrate your points creatively.

Why Use Visual Aids?

There are a number of reasons to use visual aids to enhance a speech. First, most people will remember a picture that they see much longer than words that they hear. This means that your visual prop will make your message a memorable one. Next, visual aids can be a substitute for using notes during your speech. By lining up your visual aids in order, you can keep track of all of the points that you want to make. Visuals can also make your speech more interesting, creative and even humorous when appropriate. Using props during a speech is often what makes public speaking fun.

Types of Visual Aids

There is any number of visual aid options that you can use. Overhead projectors, Power Point presentations, flip charts, videos and handouts are just a few of the most common types of illustrative tools that are used. You can also use props to illustrate a point, and your choices here are only limited by your imagination. You can use extra large props for fun, or dress up in a fun costume that tie into your topic. Do an easy magic trick, juggle or opt for a gag prop. Your audience will get a laugh, and your speech is sure to be remembered.

There are a few guidelines to keep in mind when using props in public speaking. First, it is a good idea not to let your audience see your prop until you are ready to use it. The element of surprise is a powerful attention getter. When you bring that prop out of hiding, make sure that you continue to address your audience directly instead of focusing your attention on the object itself. Finally, make sure that the object that you choose will easily be seen by everyone in your audience.

These public speaking guidelines are also important to keep in mind if you are using the more traditional visual aids like overhead transparencies or flip charts. Make sure that your illustrations completely fill the page that you are showing to your audience and use colors that are easy to see, like blue, black and green for the majority of the wording that you use. Test out your visual aid equipment prior to your scheduled speech and make sure that the room you will be talking in is well stocked with electrical outlets, cords, flip charts and whatever else you may require.

Visuals are a great way to draw your audience into your topic and help them effectively remember your message. Get creative and have fun with the illustrations that you use, and you are guaranteed a successful public speaking experience!

September 4th, 2007 by wendy in Uncategorized | No Comments

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