Communication.

It’s the foundation of how to trust and build relationships. In the Buddhist context, the ability to communicate effectively comes from Right Speech. Knowing how to communicate is just as important as knowing yourself and what you need to say and how to say it, as well as knowing the other person and how to effectively deliver what needs to be said. What seems easy, is at the end of the day, quite nuanced. And before we can communicate, we must ensure we know how to listen.

Teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh encompassing the mindful, Buddhist view can help people learn to look inward, trust, communicate, and relate to one another. “Once you can communicate with yourself, you’ll be able to communicate outwardly with more clarity. The way in is the way out.” (Thich Nhat Hanh. The Art of Communicating. 2013.) This inward process is a process through which we can learn how to better understand ourselves and our needs, and how to move outward to speak with others and support their needs.

In The Art of Communicating, Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “Self-understanding is crucial for understanding another person … Once you have some understanding and insight into your own suffering, you begin to be better at understanding and communicating with someone else. Our relationships depend on the capacity of each of us to understand our own difficulties and aspirations and those of others. … Please listen with great compassion.”

Anything is possible with effective communication: compromise, understanding, peace, successful negotiations, agreeing to disagree, solving problems, relationship building, change, love, setting a tone, bridging communities. You get it. The importance of it. Practice it. There’s so much room for improvement, for everyone.