Communication Skills

Communication Skills How to Talk the Talk Communication is usually taken for granted—that is, until it breaks down. Why didn't my teacher get my point? How can I get my counselor to understand what I'm saying? Why does every discussion with my mom turn into an argument? Good communication skills help you express your ideas clearly, learn from other people, and resolve any conflicts. Most of these skills you'll pick up with life experience. Here are a few tips for improving your communication skills: Be Clear Make sure you understand what you want to say before you start. Explain the context of your point so your listener clearly understands why you're talking to them. Are you asking for a favor? Are you trying to tell an important fact? Do you want to know something? Use simple words and language to express your point. Stay Positive Phrase your ideas and suggestions in a positive, rather than critical way. Be confident. Don't assume that what you have to say isn't worthwhile. Keep in mind that a listener's silence doesn't necessarily mean consent or disapproval. It may just mean that the person needs to think about a response before answering. Listen Actively Make sure you understand what the other person is trying to say. Try paraphrasing someone's point—"So, what you're saying is..."—and see if you got it. Don't get so preoccupied planning what you'll say next that you don't pay attention. Keep an open mind. Be flexible about compromises and alternate solutions. Make sure you understand someone's point before you react. Speak with self-control—don't just say the first response that comes to mind. Learn from Experience Review situations in which you had to communicate with different people, such as a friend, parent, or a study group. Ask yourself: How did I handle the situation? Was I able to make my point understood? Did the discussion have a positive outcome? If not, why? What could I have done differently? Think before you speak. Plan your presentations and other addresses to groups whenever possible, especially in business. Even if you don't know everything you want to say, you should have a general idea. In more private conversations, take the time to be clear about the points you want to make before talking. Always be honest in your communication. Step2Be an active listener. Listening is often more important than speaking. To improve your communication skills, pay attention to what others are saying without getting distracted. Step3Make good eye contact. Shifty eyes make you seem less than trustworthy in business and personal life. If you are looking everywhere but in the eyes of your audience, it will arouse suspicion. This doesn't mean you should initiate a staring contest. Just make sure to put your audience at ease by holding the gaze at times. Step4Take it slow. Don't slur your words together or mumble. Enunciate. If you speak too fast, then you'll lose your audience. Use words only if you are sure of their meaning. Make yourself easily understood. Step5Use appropriate volume and tone. Of course, you should speak louder when addressing a group than you would in private conversations. Reflect emotion in your voice. A monotone approach is never appropriate in any setting. Step6Practice; it's the best way to improve your communication skills. The more you do it, the easier it will get.

Walk of Life

"Walk of Life" is a 1985 song by the British rock band Dire Straits. It appeared on their best-selling album Brothers in Arms. It subsequently appeared on their live album On the Night.The song was nearly excluded from the album when the co-producer Neil Dorfsman voted against its inclusion, but the rest of the band out-voted him.A simple rock 'n' roll rhythm is used, with chord changes limited to the famous I, IV and V chords. The lyrics reference oldies, including "I Got A Woman", "Be-Bop-A-Lula", "What'd I Say" and "Mack The Knife".The music video for the song shown in the U.S. features sports bloopers intercut with footage of the band performing the song on a stage, while the UK video features a street musician wearing the same shirt as Mark Knopfler intercut with the band performing on a stage."Walk of Life" was the song played during the Space Shuttle Discovery crew wake-up call on STS-114 Flight Day 7.The introduction to the song was also used for a time as the theme music for Test Match Special Cricket in the United Kingdom.When the song was originally released, the band explained that a "walk of life" in the context of this song is a traditional journey taken by a storyteller in the countryside, in which he went from town to town telling stories, in the days before radio, television, and recording

Love of My Life

Love of My Life is a ballad from the album A Night at the Opera by English rock band Queen. A live release of the single reached number 1 in Argentina and Brazil, in 1979. The preceding track on the album, "The Prophet's Song", flows seamlessly into this song, although the two were never performed back to back.
Freddie Mercury wrote it on the piano and guitarist Brian May rearranged the song for acoustic 12-string guitar to facilitate live performances. May contributed occasional guitar phrases to the original recording and played the swooping harp glissandos by pasting together multiple takes of single chords. The song is a good example of Mercury's familiarity with rubato phrasing, showcasing his classical piano influences, notably by Chopin and Beethoven.
When they can't always be there, keep the "Love of Your Life" within reach with our new Velvet Photo Pillow.It's the next best thing to hugging your sweetheart in person!Cuddly soft to the touch, our photo pillow is constructed of luxurious, ruby red velvet with coordinating black velvet trim. We then custom embroider "Love of My Life" above the photo sleeve in matching black thread.