Hi there Reader,

Where does communication between people go wrong? And what can you do to make it better?

1 People don’t listen. A cliché, and a fact.

We speak over other people all the time - either out loud, or in our heads.

2 Anything we say is ultimately about us. It’s like we’re speaking to a mirror - to ourselves, about ourselves, for ourselves.

It’s hard to accept, but the mind is so self-centered it’s a wonder we ever manage to get anything across, or done.

3 The past is always present. Our words, reactions, tone, and body movements are all infused by our history. We rarely respond to the actual thing-person-situation that’s in front of us.

Not to despair! Because -

✧ Listening is a skill. It can be cultivated.

✧ The mind is awesome (weird, too). You can choose how to use it.

✧ Connection is not exclusive to dialogue. Thank god for our bodies, art, and spirit!

✧ Self-awareness saves lives! And relationships 🙂

Nourishing, deep, wonderful conversations are possible. They can be life-and-world changing.

With love,

Elena

PS. On March 17, I'm leading the "From drama to direction: Effective team communication for caring leaders" online workshop. For more information and to join, click here.

Improve your communication skills

with these 3 practices

Do these in your everyday life. With your friends, partner(s), or the grocer. See it as an experiment.

1 Listen, like a quiet sponge. Stop speaking. Stop thinking. Absorb what the other person says.

2 Observe, like a fly on the wall. Your own reactions. The person’s expressions. The space between you. If you watched the interaction from a distance, what would you notice?
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3 Ask questions, like a curious geek. The more, the merrier (sic). As if the other person is your favorite subject.

Play around with these and see what comes up!

Meet me in Thessaloniki!

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I’ll be there Saturday March 7 - Thursday March 12 for the 28th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

If you’re part of the AGORA, you can come to the wonderful Decompression Room: A space of wellbeing at AGORA (located in the Film Museum building at the port).

The Decompression Room has been designed as a quiet sanctuary, where you can escape the festival hustle, listen to calming music or recorded meditations, and regroup.

I’ll be offering two live guided meditations that can help you “Rest and Recharge”.

Feel free to drop in!

Wednesday March 11, 18.00-19.00 & Thursday March 12, 12.00-13.00, at the Decompression Room

If you’d like some 1-2-1 time with me, you can also book a meeting.

Place your request at the AGORA info desk, or send me an email: info@elenachristopoulou.com.