Communication

1. Gather your thoughts:

Do you know what you think?  Do you know what it means?  

2. Relate it to others before speaking:

Do you know what it means to others?  How might it offend someone else?  How might someone not fully understand the spirit of what you are trying to say?

3. Break down the walls:

What is keeping you from expressing what you really mean/feel? It is easy to pinpoint what emotion you want to convey, but it is harder to properly convey that emotion if you aren't completely honest with yourself and others.

4. Care:

Why is it important?  To you?  To others?  How does the effect what you say and how?  

5. Listen:

Repeat steps 1 - 4 but from the perspective of the person (or people) you are listening to.  The other person is going through the same thought process that you went through.  Your job as a listener is to follow them on their thought process to discover what they are saying, how it affects you and others, and why it is important.  At the same time, you have to respect the fact that they had to become vulnerable to do such.  The other person is trusting that you will exert the effort to try and understand his/her point of view.