“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard  Shaw 

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a quote of the week. I guess it’s a combination of laziness, busyness and lacking inspiration. 

But sometimes you just got to get back on track despite those things.

I came across this quote that Rob had sent me a long time ago. 

It struck a chord as I find it to be true so often. “I thought I told you”, or “I didn’t think I had to tell you”, or “I thought you just knew”, or “I thought our relationship was strong enough that we didn’t need to communicate often”, or any version that sends the message that it’s ok to slack off on communication. 

Communication is one of the most important things we can do to build healthy relationships. I find myself talking to our kids about the importance of communication. As they grow and try to assert their independence, I think they sometimes mistake communication as being something that you don’t need to do as you get older. But it’s just as necessary, and sometimes even more necessary as you try to develop more mature relationships.

 Good communication is a sign of respect. It’s a sign of caring. It’s a sign of gratitude. It’s a sign of interest. It’s a sign of love. Good communication will help prevent many misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and pull people together. Good communication is the foundation of marriage, family relations, friendships and business relations. 

It’s well worth evaluating your communication style. Are you ensuring you are communicating with those who are truly important to you? Or are you assuming that somehow you have communicated; perhaps living with the illusion that you don’t need to communicate to build stronger relations. 

And really, good communication doesn’t even take long, but the benefits are really for forever.