Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect . (p. 64). HarpersCollins Leadership Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Here is some more practical advice. John says, “I’ve witnessed a lot of speakers and teachers who rely too heavily on their intellect to persuade others. In addition, many of them also overestimate people’s natural receptivity to the message and their desire to change because of it. These speakers and teachers believe that all they need to do is lay out a logical line of reasoning and people will be won over. It just doesn’t work that way.” John continues, “Whatever is inside of you, whether positive or negative, will eventually come out when you are communicating to others. The proverb ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he’ really is true. That comes across and impacts the way others react to you. People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude. That will either e...

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect . (p. 62). HarpersCollins Leadership Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) OK, John, show us what you mean. He says, “The first is rather obvious. Everyone’s heard another person expound on a subject about which he knows nothing. At best it’s comical. At worst it’s torturous. But most of the time, it simply comes across as inauthentic. As jazz musician Charlie Parker once observed, ‘If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.’ “I read a story about the great actor Charles Laughton that illustrates the difference between a merely good speaker and one who really knows what he’s talking about. It’s said that Laughton was attending a Christmas party with a family in London. During the evening the host asked everyone attending to recite a favorite passage that best represented the spirit of Christmas. When it was Laughton’s turn, he skillfully r...

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect . (p. 60). HarpersCollins Leadership Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Look around and see what is happening. John says, “Pay attention to your surroundings. Environment obviously plays an important role whenever we try to communicate with other people. Have you ever tried to connect with someone who’s paying more attention to the television than to you? Have you tried to have a conversation in a loud area like a construction zone or during a concert? A difficult environment can make it hard or even impossible to connect. “If you desire to connect, you cannot afford to ignore your environment. That’s true even if you have been asked to speak professionally. You can’t assume that a setting is going to be conducive for connecting, even if it was supposedly designed for communication. That’s why I always try to see the venue beforehand anytime I’m b...