I always preferred my own thoughts. In my youth, you could find me staring off into the horizon while the rest of my friends mingled with each other, but that has slowly changed.
A number of factors have forced me to change and made me appreciate communication a little more.
Path Towards a More Communicative Me
Now, you should know I did not avoid others because I disliked them or felt better than them. The truth is it felt strange to start a real conversation with people. It was hard to figure out what to say, and that intimidated me more than anything else.
One thing you should know about me is that I love traveling but had never gotten a chance to do so, until I was older. My trips and staying in different places forced me to open up a little more.
Necessity Is a Motivator
As I began to travel more, it became apparent that it was necessary for me to talk to others. As great as it is to explore, sometimes you need to talk to the locals to get around a little easier or learn where you may find things you need.
I realized that if you put yourself in a position where you must talk, then you find a way to get over your fear and just start talking.
For example, by talking to a neighbor at a place I was staying at, I learned that if I paid with cash, the owner would charge me a fee because he had to come to the place. It was in my best interest to use my credit or debit card instead.
Friendliness Disarms
Strangers can get a bad rap in small towns. People look at you in their neighborhood and do not know what to think.
Sometimes, the unknown could make people feel a little uneasy, and I began to notice this as I stayed in various places during my travels because of my unique style.
I did not want to make people feel that way, so I began to talk, which solved that issue.
My friendliness made the people around like me and even help me from time to time by offering rides or even a homemade meal. Yes, the idea of talking to others scared me but doing so can be rewarding.
Enriching Exercise
Another thing that helped me on my venture of becoming a more communicative me are the positive outcomes I was experiencing.
Communicating with others opened up a lot of opportunities, like how I was given rides from time to time. These instances helped give me even more reasons to step out of my little shell and talk to others more often.
I spoke to a person who longed to be location independent and wanted to travel freely. I suggested doing something online since this was something I had experience with. The young man was excited about the possibility of opportunities.
Being able to help others is a great motivator, and it is something I’ve done numerous times.
These moments have had such an impact on me that I have gone from being more of a wallflower to someone who is actually interested in learning how to become a life coach.
Listening Is Beautiful
People have a lot to offer, even when you do not think so. You learn a lot about day-to-day living by simply letting people talk.
I was surprised to see how much people are willing to share if you give them a chance. Storytelling is something that has always interested me, but most of the stories I’ve written were created from my imagination, but that is no longer true.
Stories I’ve gathered during my travels are slowly finding their way into some of the new stories I’ve been working on.
Learning to listen has also made me a more informed citizen because it has allowed me to learn about the worries that trouble regular folks.
Understanding fellow human beings allows you to be more empathetic and a better person, which is incredibly valuable.
I could sit here and say I was forced to become a better communicator, but the reality is my lifestyle drew me in, and I am more than thankful that it did.
Of course, you may find me staring into the horizon in deep thought, but you may also find me talking to people, trying to figure out a way to enrich others through conversation.
