Communication and Conflict

  Communication is key. This week we talked about communication and how important it is in a relationship. I knew how it important it was before taking this class but it is more profound now when I've found out more data. The most important thing I learned was how non-verbal communication is so key in any relationship. Only 14% of communication is words, tone is 35%, and non-verbal is 51%. You are never not communicating something. Our thoughts and our feeling have to be sent to the other persona and they have to encode what message we are saying or showing to them. We expect others to know our codes of what we are saying and wanting them to work with it. The problems with communication are much greater than we anticipate.
    Listening is also such an important part to communication. There are many ways to be better about listening. 1. Take the initiative in communication 2. Resist distractions 3. Control your emotions and the want to respond to whoever you're talking to 4. Ask questions and make sure you understand what your partner means 5. Think about what you are going to say and summarize what you have heard and are going to say 6. Practice your listening skills often
   When communication is not done right in a relationship there is going to be conflict. It is okay to have conflict in a relationship because there are ways that conflict can bring two people together and to actually strengthen a relationship as long as the conflict is not done in anger or goes on to long. It is important to not be invested in our own opinions in a conflict. It is important to think of the other person and how they are feeling and to always remember that during times of conflict to not want it your way but want whatever our Heavenly Father and Savior want for us. Conflict is going to occur but if you are conscientious about how you are feeling and what the Savior wants for you the conflict will be for the better and not for the worse.