Communicate Like The "Boss". Springsteen That Is.

Convey, impart- converse, get in touch- be connected.

That is the definition of communicate. The ability to communicate clearly is an art. Just because you speak does not mean you communicate. To communicate effectively you must paint a picture so vivid with your words that your audience can see it in their minds eye. Let us use the example of one of my many passions, music. I think the reason I love music so is its ability to communicate with me.

The screen door slams
Mary’s dress waves
Like a
vision she dances across the porch
As the radio
plays

Roy Orbison
singing for the lonely

Hey that’s
me and I want you only

Don’t turn
me home again

I just can’t
face myself alone again

–Bruce Springsteen

I cannot hear the words from "Thunder Road" without a visual in my mind that is so clear that I see the sunlight playing off her dress, smell summertime in the air and sense the ache of young love. That one verse communicates with crystal clarity.

One of the hardest things for me as a teacher and in any relationship is to communicate my thoughts with that kind of clarity.

In my experiences, I have learned that it is not enough to paint a picture; it must be a picture painted enthusiastically, with a relevance to the involved party and done at the age level of your audience. Children understand the Wiggles; adults understand Springsteen. The best communicators always cater to their audience.

The same applies to success with our goals. We need to paint a picture in our mind's eye with clarity so that our brain can easily accomplish it. You need to see yourself wearing your Black Belt, you need to feel the sweat of your effort dripping down the sides of your face and feel the ache in your muscles. When you create that vision in your mind you can turn it into a reality.