Self-Reflection

While growing up, it was my dream to become a professional baseball player. I loved the sport and was quite active in it, playing at all levels of little league and schools. Hardly a day passed when I did not fantasize about running out onto the field in a professional baseball stadium and becoming a star player. But as I reached at my late teens and began competing with players who took the game as, if not more, seriously than me, the reality that maybe - just maybe - I was not good enough to play professionally began occurring to me. Finally, the day came when I asked myself: "Am I good enough to play baseball professionally?"

If my answer had been in the affirmative, then I would have continued to try entering into the professional ranks any way I could. Instead, my answer was "no." It did not mean I loved the game any less or that I no longer picked up a ball and bat and played. But what my response meant was that I no longer was going to move down that path. I had to find a new one. To make a long story short, I eventually did and, even if I do say so myself, I feel as if things worked out just fine. But this did not make my initial question any less significant or tough to answer. It forced me to look at this part of my life as it was rather than how I wanted it to be.    

It is my belief that such a question is something we all need to raise with ourselves when it comes to communicating. I say this because the act of communicating plays such a vital role in every aspect of our lives. It determines how effective we are at our jobs. It dictates the strength of our connection with family and friends. It even plays a key role in how we feel about ourselves. Given that, in asking ourselves "Am I a good communicator?", it is important to do so in the context of  the specific roles we play in our lives: parent, friend, son/daughter, employee, citizen, etc. By asking ourselves such a question and then answering honestly, it is a powerful first-step toward becoming the kind of communicator we want to be.