“Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity.”
~ Nat Turner ~
We all agree that communication is very important, especially in this era when most of our decisions are data-driven. And I think only a few (or no one) would disagree that communication skills are difficult to develop. But no matter how arduous that task is, we must work hard to acquire them.
The ability to communicate effectively is a “must-possess” skill. If somebody says that it is a “superpower,” I wouldn’t disagree, for if you can communicate effectively, you have one of the most important tools needed to succeed in whatever endeavors and undertakings you undertake.
You and I should learn how to effectively convey our ideas and feelings and divulge our intentions properly. Lest we forget, though, that communication is a two-way process. It is not just a matter of us sending or encoding a message but being able to process the response or feedback being sent back to us. Or we could be at the receiving end of the process. This means we could be the receiver instead of being the sender.
In whatever role – processing feedback or receiving a message – we need to decipher or decode efficiently.
Communication is one of the few constructs that can be found in the vocabulary of different fields of study. The said concept is a fundamental aspect of major areas related to language and literature. It is an integral part of any field that requires information to be disseminated, such as in media, business, politics, health care, and education. Even in science and math. The said subjects may be technical in nature, but they require effective communication. Without it, scientists and mathematicians cannot disseminate the necessary information and knowledge to the general public.
I cannot recall any concept that serves most (if not all) fields of endeavors other than communication. Thus, the ability to communicate is included in the list of skills a person must develop. It is a vital component of any “self-improvement” model. It is hard to imagine a personal growth and development program that does not include improving communication skills.
Communication is simply the process of exchanging information or expressing one’s ideas, thoughts, or feelings to someone else using spoken or written words or any other medium. The process involves the interplay of the main elements of communication – sender, receiver, message, channel or medium, and feedback. The interaction of the above-mentioned components is affected also by other factors – context and interference or noise.
The communication process starts with the intention to send a message (the information to be conveyed). Others refer to the messages as the subject matter of communication. The sender initiates the process. They are the source of information or the one sending the message to a receiver using a particular channel or medium.
Channel is described as the path through which an encoded message is transmitted from a sender to a receiver. The message can be relayed through written or verbal (electronic or personal) means. Messages sent electronically may come either in audio or video formats. The receiver is tasked to understand or decipher the message they receive, after which they are expected to send feedback to complete the communication process.
Feedback is the receiver’s response to the message. Giving feedback reverses the communication process, where the receiver becomes the sender and vice-versa. When you communicate, you, as the sender, naturally expect a favorable response. For that to happen, you must ensure your message is clear and easy to understand. And your message will be easier to understand if you make it concise. You must deliver your message in the shortest (but complete) way possible. Clarity and conciseness are the hallmarks of an effective message. They help avoid ambiguity and confusion.
To ensure the success of the communication process, you also need to consider the factors that affect it. When the sender conveys the message and the receiver gives feedback, the environment or situation should be set to help the communication achieve its intended purpose. Dham (2023) explained how context and noise could disrupt the process of communication. He explained that the “context provides the backdrop against the communication. This includes the physical, social, psychological, and cultural environment in which the interaction occurs. Context influences how the message is interpreted and helps establish shared meanings between the sender and receiver. Noise, on the other hand, refers to any interference or distortion that affects the clarity of the message during the communication process. It can be external, such as background noise or technical glitches, or internal, such as language barriers, cultural differences, or emotional distractions. Minimizing noise is crucial to ensuring the message is accurately transmitted and received.”
Understanding how the process works is a prerequisite to effective communication. If you succeed in creating a synergy among the main elements of communication and are able to control the effects of the other factors, you will reap great dividends. It will enable you to deliver a message or convey information accurately and efficiently, ensuring mutual comprehension and avoiding misunderstanding.
Communicating effectively is as important as the other self-improvement skills you need to pursue success, happiness, and wealth. It is required when interacting with others in both professional and personal environments. Communicating effectively is an essential skill whose development you cannot take for granted. Through a good communication approach, effective and meaningful interactions can be effected.
Communication plays a fundamental role in both our professional endeavors and personal undertakings. Whatever those endeavors or undertakings may be, they all involve interpersonal relationships that can only be nurtured when we establish connections with other people.
On a personal level, we need to establish communication with our loved ones and friends. It helps build a stronger connection with them and resolve conflicts or disagreements. Effective communication is the foundation of successful friendships, including romantic relationships. It promotes intimacy, trust, and mutual understanding.
Any professional pursuits also require the development of the ability to communicate. You cannot find a job or succeed in business if you are incapable of self-expression. We have been told countless times that in order to succeed, we should be able to communicate.
In the workplace, effective communication plays a significant role. If you are a leader or manager of any enterprise, you must be ready to articulate the goals and objectives of the organization and make the members cooperate in their pursuit. The members should be provided with clear direction and motivation so they can all work together for the organization’s success. Teamwork and collaboration can be achieved through effective communication.
Even if you don’t like to work for any organization in the workplace and you’re planning to establish a business of your own or be a freelancer, you still need to develop the ability to communicate. Working alone, sometimes, means having to work harder. The business of selling products and services by yourself would require stronger efforts in persuading potential customers.
Effective communication is a prerequisite to any successful business endeavor, whether doing it with an organization or by yourself. Remember that it is also essential in the pursuit of happiness, for it helps build meaningful relationships.
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Dham, M. (2023). Elements of Communication Process. PrepBytes Blog. https://www.prepbytes. com/ blog /basics-of-communication/elements-of-communication-process/
After the last games were played in the NBA’s regular season, the dust finally settled, and the No. 1 to 6 seeds for both conferences (East and West) were finally determined. As to who will be No. 7 and 8 seeds is yet unknown.
In the East, via the play-in tournament, the Philadelphia Sixers, the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, and the Atlanta Hawks are vying for the last two spots for the playoffs. Out West, the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the last teams standing.
The Lakers had to defeat the Pelicans to place 8th in the standings after the regular season and must hand the former another loss to secure the 7th seed going into the playoffs.
It should be remembered that last year, the Lakers also had to survive the play-in tournament and ended up as No. 7 in the West. Despite being the underdogs, they defeated the 2nd-seeded Grizzlies. They also booted out the 6th-seeded Warriors, then the defending champions, becoming one of the only two (2) 7th-seed to reach the Western Conference finals. Their magical run from a dismal 2-10 start ended when the Nuggets, the eventual champion, swept them in 4 straight games.
The defending champs Nuggets unexpectedly ended at the No. 2 spot in the West. The Lakers are staring at the possibility of duking it out with their last year’s Western Conference tormentors should they defeat the Pelicans and become 7th-seeded. The Nuggets also swept the Lakers in their regular season tussles.
The Lakers are seemingly incapable of solving the Nuggets’ riddle. They have not defeated the defending champs in their last 8 games. Thus, sports analysts and basketball pundits say it would be better for them to intentionally drop their game against the Pelicans and prepare themselves for the battle for the 8th seed against the winner of the Warriors-Kings knock-out game. They suggest the Lakers tank in their first play-in tournament game to avoid the Nuggets.
Should the Lakers end up at No. 8 in the West, they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who surprisingly snatched the No. 1 seed. And the oddsmakers may consider them favorites considering the latter defeated the former thrice in four games during the regular season.
But what is the guarantee that the Lakers will end up defeating the Warriors-Kings tussle winner, considering how they performed against both teams during the regular season? They lost their four regular games against the Kings. The Warriors hold a 3-1 win-loss record against them. However, it should be noted that in their 2 losses against the Warriors, Anthony Davis, a vital cog in both ends of the floor for the Lakers, played only for a few minutes in one and did not play at all in the other because of injuries.
So, the Lakers can pick their poison. Win their game against the Pelicans to ensure they play in the playoffs (unfortunately against the defending champions Nuggets), or go for all of their marbles in a do-or-die game against the winner of the 9 vs 10 play-in match-up. The Warriors and the Kings are definitely no pushovers. They will not give the win to the Lakers on a silver platter. Neither of those two teams will just roll over and die.
What could go in the Lakers’ favor should they vie for the No. 8 spot (in case they lose the game against the Pelicans either on purpose or otherwise) is them playing on their homecourt and the fact that Lebron and his crew play differently when the stakes are high. It is hard to disregard the fact that they have won 14 of their last 20 games.
Nobody knows which way the Lakers go. Whatever decisions the think-tank of the Lakers organization comes out with, there’s one serious matter to consider – the extent of the injury Anthony Davis suffered in their previous games against the Pelicans. If the Lakers decide to go all out to notch the 7th seed, will Davis be able to play? Is he 100% healthy?
The Lakers must ground Davis if playing him would aggravate his injury and jeopardize his health and their chances in the playoffs. Let his aching back heal a little bit more. And should they decide to go this route, they might as well either rest Lebron or play him sparingly. Allow the team’s main stars to reserve their strength and unleash them in their matchup against the Warriors or the Kings.
But what if the Pelicans are also thinking of taking their chances against the winner of the no. 9 and no. 10 teams instead of facing the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs?
Tanking their initial play-in tournament game is perhaps not in the minds of both the Lakers and the Pelicans. Regardless of the consequences of winning that game, both teams owe it to NBA fans to give their all. Their credibility will definitely get a hit if they do not play to win. They will perhaps be branded as cowards for not wanting to face the Nuggets in a playoff series.
The intersection where teachers’ commitment, school administrators’ leadership behavior, and student academic performance converge is frequently explored and investigated in academic studies. Doing so is necessary in order to improve the quality of education. We must find ways to make teaching and learning more effective and efficient.
In my paper published recently, I revisited that intersection. I examined the relationships between the said variables. In the said study, I hypothesized that a correlation exists between teachers’ commitment and leadership behavior, teachers’ commitment and academic performance of students, and leadership behavior and academic performance of students.
Studies conducted on students’ performance in the classroom examined or evaluated how certain factors or variables related to school, teachers, school administrators, or students and their environment affect academic achievement. Some studies focus only on one variable, and some combine two or more. While numerous variables could potentially affect students’ academic performance as presented in various studies, mine focused only on constructs that are perceived to affect students’ academic performance directly, namely, teachers’ commitment (to their work and organization) and the leadership behavior of school administrators.
In the investigation I conducted, the aforementioned constructs were defined or referred to as follows: academic performance as the results of standardized tests students took in the following subject areas: math, science, and English; teachers’ commitment as their dedication and attachment to their profession and their loyalty to their school as an organization; leadership as a process in which an individual influences a group to achieve and commit to a common goal. Teachers’ commitment is categorized into commitment to job and commitment to organization and leadership behavior into consideration (people-oriented) and initiating structure (task-oriented).
We say that teachers play the most crucial role in student achievement, and it is unfortunate that teachers usually take the blame when students fail to meet academic expectations. It is almost impossible for teachers to escape from the notion that “when students did not learn, the teacher did not teach.” But if teachers are held responsible when students are not performing well, should somebody take responsibility when teachers are not teaching the way they should, thus resulting in poor academic performance on the part of the students? This is where leadership behavior comes into focus. School leaders’ primary duty is to inspire and motivate teachers to work towards improving students’ academic performance.
Academic performance is the result of learning produced by the student and prompted by the activities of teachers. How well the students perform academically depends on how committed the teachers are to their chosen profession. On the other hand, whatever activities teachers do in a school are supposedly imposed and overseen by the school administrator. Thus, the level of commitment to job and organization the teachers manifest hinges on their supervisors’ leadership behavior. Student learning is affected by teaching and teaching by management and supervision performed by school leaders.
My study yielded some surprising results.
The overall computed mean for teachers’ commitment indicates that the teachers who participated in my study are committed to both their jobs and organization, although their commitment to their jobs is higher than their commitment to their organizations. As regards leadership behavior, most of the school administrators, as perceived by the teacher-respondents, exhibit behaviors attributed to structured leadership. This implies that the leaders supervising them are high in initiating structure but low in consideration. The results divulge that the correlation between both aspects of teachers’ commitment and the initiating structure dimension of leadership behavior is positive. With the consideration dimension, the correlation is negative. This inverse relationship implies that the less committed teachers to their job and organization become when the heads of their schools manifest a more people-oriented behavior than task-oriented.
We expect that teachers will be more committed to their job and organization if they are supervised by people-oriented leaders and less inspired when they are led by task-oriented school administrators. One probable reason for teachers becoming more committed to their job and organization when the school leader is task-oriented is clarity. Leaders who are strong in initiating structure are arguably more precise and specific with their expectations and goals than their people-oriented counterparts. In this study, the teacher-respondents may happen to prefer leaders who are task-oriented more than those who are people-oriented. The teachers respond more positively to a structured style of leadership.
However, as previously articulated, being task-oriented does not necessarily mean that the leaders are not concerned about the well-being of those they lead. As the findings of this study have shown, the teachers perceive the school managers as “dynamic,” which means that they scored above average in both dimensions of leadership behavior only that they manifest more strongly in the leadership behavior initiating structure. Scoring above average in both dimensions indicates flexibility for the school leaders. They were able to adapt their strategies and approaches based on the needs and circumstances, which is crucial in helping maintain or enhance teacher commitment. Thus, in this study, teachers were found to be committed to both their job and organization.
The correlation analysis for the students’ academic performance was also unexpected. It is only with the student’s performance in math, not in science and in English, that teachers’ commitment is correlated. And the correlation is negative. Most similar studies’ findings show a positive correlation between students’ academic performance and teachers’ commitment. Rarely was in studies that a negative correlation between teachers’ commitment and student performance was shown. That negative relationship was established in this study. However, the size of the (negative) correlation coefficient between the abovementioned variables is considered negligible.
Despite the rarity of seeing a negative correlation between teacher commitment and students’ academic performance, its occurrence is still disconcerting. It is counterintuitive to find that when teachers show commitment to their job, students’ academic performance suffers. What could be the reason?
Certain circumstances or strategies committed teachers apply could negatively impact students’ academic performance. Teachers could overly commit to academic undertakings and high standards that inadvertently create excessive pressure and stress for students, possibly leading to burnout and anxiety. Such could result in reduced performance on the part of the students. Additionally, when teachers become overly committed, they may fail to strike a balance between work and life. Such may lead to them experiencing burnout, consequently diminishing their ability to deliver quality instruction and engage students more productively.
The next set of findings may also be considered surprising.
Students’ performance in all subject areas is negatively correlated with leadership behavior-initiating structure and has no significant relationship with leadership behavior consideration. A negative correlation exists between students’ academic performance in math, science, and English and school administrators’ initiating structure leadership behavior. Although the size of the (negative) correlation coefficient is considered negligible also, it is interesting to note that while the initiating structure dimension of leadership behavior is positively correlated to teacher commitment, it is the other way around with the academic performance of students and not only in one subject area but all. One possible reason for such an inverse relationship is that the task-oriented approach of school leaders can indirectly put too much burden on students, thus negatively impacting their performance. They can overly emphasize strict academic goals that could create high-stress environments in the schools they supervise. It may have positively impacted teacher commitment but negatively affected the students’ performance. The academic pressure created when students are forced to adhere to the strict standards that task-oriented heads of schools set could negatively impact their well-being. They may experience burnout, which could affect their academic performance.
Additionally, when school heads are task-oriented, they tend to focus more on curricular activities and less on non-academic ones. Extracurricular activities are known to benefit students. They can positively impact the students’ academic performance, mental health, and well-being. The “all work and no (or less) play” that task-oriented heads of schools tend to implement may not be helping students perform better academically.
DOI: 10.11591/edulearn.v18i2.21083
I remember certain things as my twelfth year here in South Korea commences.
I remember my father. He influenced me to consider plying my trade as a teacher in another country. Thus, when I revisited my career path at the turn of the 21st century (Yup… that was eons ago!), I included teaching in a foreign land as one of my options. It was not until 2008 that I seriously considered it. What led me to give this option a try was my father’s response when I informed him that I had finally completed my Ph.D. I even bragged to him about me being the first one in our clan to become a “doctor.” He, of course, congratulated me but asked, “How much is your salary now?.” I gave him the exact amount and the possible increase because of my newly minted PhD. Then he informed me that one of my cousins, a seaman, receives a higher income even if he has not finished college. All I could do then was scratch my head. Four years after that exchange between me and dad, I finally flew to South Korea in 2013. Had my father not died in 2014, I am sure I could have brought him and my mom here for a vacation.
I also recall the FAPE accreditors who interviewed me in 2012 when I was the Principal of a basic education institution in the Philippines. The school I was supervising then applied for FAPE re-accreditation. One of them asked why I left the previous schools where I worked. The interviewer even noted that I had good supervisory positions in those schools. However, the question irritates me a little bit because it seems that for that educator who asked it, something is wrong with somebody in any profession if they move so often from one workplace to another. Why, then, do people immediately label the constant movement of an employee from one company or institution to another as a red flag? What if that employee has justifiable reasons to quit and find another job? I had good reasons for jumping out of those ships. How I wish I could divulge the reasons.
I decided to reply politely to that question: “I have not quite found my niche yet.”
That was true. I had a great run as a teacher and school administrator but wasn’t satisfied. My mother helped me figure out the reason for such dissatisfaction – I could not give time for my other passion – writing. My mom is my number one fan as a writer. She loves reading my stories and poems. She was the one who kept reminding me about my gift of writing. Just like me, my mom loves writing stories.
Then, on March 2, 2013, much to my father’s delight, I flew here to South Korea to teach English.
Leaving my country to work here was both a professional and a personal decision. I suffered from severe job burnout then. I wanted to just be a teacher and not hold a supervisory position at the same time. I just want to teach and to pursue my other passion – writing. On the personal side, I had some personal demons to slay… too personal to share. Suffice it to say that the job burnout, combined with the consequences of some wrong decisions I made, led to depression. If I did not do something to address it, I wasn’t sure if I would emerge from that chaos with my sanity still intact. I escaped from that turmoil and could not have chosen a better place than the Land of the Morning Calm to soothe my hurting spirit and continue my academic career.
So, I got what I wished – to teach only and not supervise people at the same time. The pleasant surprise I got when I started teaching here was the required number of working hours – less than 20. Four days a week, teach for not more than 16 hours and stay in the office for possible visits from students for 3 hours. I have 3 full days and plenty of vacant hours during work days to do the other things I love – particularly writing and working out in the gym.
So, did I finally find my niche?
South Korea has turned out to be the best place where I can pursue both teaching and writing. I am so blessed to be in this corner of the Korean peninsula. Way back in my native land, it was only my academic career that blossomed. I may not have fulfilled my dream of operating my own school, but I checked a significant box in my career path – becoming a college dean.
But I am not just a teacher… I am also a writer. Being a teacher and a school administrator at the same time in my country gobbled up my time and energy. I could not focus on my writing. I was lucky to have at least a poem, an essay, or a story in a week. But here in South Korea, with all the free time that I had ( and still have), I could scratch my creative itch to the fullest. I still do until now. And the bonus… I was able to pursue my self-improvement advocacy.
Oh… I might forget. Every semester, we get to work only for 15 weeks. I already did the math; technically, we have 5 months of vacation a year. But we continue to receive pay. What a blessing! I have lots and lots of free time to use for my writing and my advocacy for self-improvement. Now, I have my own websites and social media accounts where I publish the things I write… where I blog and vlog.
The niche I was looking for was a place where I could be most productive professionally and personally. It is here in South Korea where I found that niche. I cannot thank God enough for leading me here. South Korea is my second home, and I feel so blessed that I am now in my twelfth year… and praying for more years to come.
I will forever be indebted to Dr. Larry Chong and Gyeongju University for paving the way for my entry to South Korea. That indebtedness extends to Hanseo University for being my home for the past 10 years.
“Think before you act; think twice before you speak.”
– Thomas Browne –
When you think first before speaking or responding verbally to what others say, you engage in thoughtful communication. You avoid saying something you might regret. It will help you earn trust and confidence and build better connections with people around you. The same thing to your actions. Our actions are integral parts of what we are. When it is committed, it would be hard or impossible to reverse. If the things you do are products of careful thinking, you build goodwill and establish a good reputation.
Thinking before reacting (saying or doing something) is a little bit challenging. Findings from neurological research reveal that sensory input always goes through the emotional centers of the brain before it reaches the frontal cortex – the place for our rational thought. This means that it is actually physically impossible for thoughts to come before emotions.
We often define emotions as feelings that are portrayed physically or verbally. They (emotions) are said to be paired with instinctive reactions (verbal or physical), reactions that you don’t think about but instinctively do. This is the reason why sometimes people have already said and done something before realizing whether what was said and done was right or wrong. In the end, it is a matter of them saying, “I am glad I did it.” or “I should not have done it.”
But even if we are naturally wired to have emotions formed first before thoughts, we can train ourselves to think first before making a decision – say or do something. It may be hard to be consciously aware of what we say or do in a split second, but it is harder to regret doing or saying something, especially if the consequences are grave.
Remember the Think Before You Click campaign? It was launched to remind people to take the necessary precautions when they indulge in any kind of activity on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), YouTube, and other social media platforms. People are urged to slow down with whatever they’re doing in cyberspace and scrutinize what or who they are interacting with. It is when people act impulsively and without thinking that they become vulnerable to phishing, malware, identity theft, cyber espionage, data breaches, and other kinds of cybercrimes. There are grave personal and professional consequences for failing to think before clicking. Millions of dollars were lost and lives ruined simply because some people did not think before pressing the enter button.
But we also live a life outside of cyberspace that requires us to think first, not just before clicking but also before saying or doing anything. In this article, think first is referred to as the skill of momentarily pausing in order to assess the consequences or implications of an action about to be done or words about to be said. It is one of the self-improvement skills needed by people seeking success. The absence of such skill may lead to failure or ruin.
Think first precedes decision-making. Remember that the decision-making process is a crucial part of our life. We make decisions (say or do something) that affect both our personal and professional lives. Thus, you need to reflect first about the decisions you are about to make. Thoughtful deliberation and mindfulness are prerequisites to decision-making. You can avoid making impulsive decisions if you think first before doing or saying anything. Remember that there are negative consequences or results when decisions made are a product of thoughtlessness.
Developing the skill to think first is an integral part of self-improvement. It is an area of personal growth and development that cannot be taken for granted. The way to success, good health, and happiness is replete with a lot of decisions you need to make. Remember that becoming successful, healthy, and happy hinges upon your decision-making ability.
Thinking first provides you an opportunity to hold your horses and not rush to make a decision. It gives you a moment to reflect on your thoughts and emotions before doing or saying something. It allows you to check your intentions. Many people make wrong decisions, resulting in lost opportunities and ruined relationships, because they do not weigh the pros and cons by refusing to think first.
Thinking first or not at all is what separates successful people from unsuccessful ones. Those who make decisions – say or do something – without thinking it through first are very likely to fail. According to Maxwell (2009), “The one thing that separates those who go to the top from those who never seem to get there is good thinking. It is not that some people get better opportunities and better education or that some people are just lazy and had bad breaks.” They fail because they don’t have the ability to think properly. They go on autopilot when making decisions.
It’s not just a matter of thinking first but also being mindful of the quality of thinking that you do. It is not enough that you think first. How you think also matters. It is the quality of thinking that makes a thinker more successful than other thinkers. The better a person thinks, the better results they get.
But how to think well? How do you become a good thinker?
Two concepts come to mind whenever the process of thinking is discussed – critical thinking and analytical thinking. These two philosophical constructs are often used interchangeably. Yes, the results are the same – informed and responsible decisions – but the manner in which they are performed is different.
Bensla (2023) provided the following definitions to differentiate one from the other. “Critical thinking is an objective process of examining and evaluating an issue to form a judgment. Conversely, analytical thinking breaks down complex issues or concepts into smaller, more digestible pieces. It can be said that the two are complementary. Both critical and analytical thinkers identify, analyze, and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct. Analytical and critical thinking prevent one from acting impulsively when making a decision.
No matter how small and insignificant a decision that is about to be made, guarantee its success by thinking first before making the decision.
Becoming a good thinker is not rocket science! Simply follow the prescribed procedures in critical and/or analytical thinking, and you will be on your way to making well-informed decisions. Sometimes, a simple application of common sense is all that it takes to make a decision.
Aside from following established thinking procedures, there are other ways of improving your way of thinking.
To improve thinking, Maxwell (2009) recommended the following: 1) expose yourself to good input; 2) expose yourself to good thinkers; 3) choose to think good thoughts; 4) act on your good thoughts; and 5) allow your emotions to create another good thought.
Exposing yourself to good input involves reading books, reviewing trade magazines, listening to tapes, and spending time with good thinkers. You should also strive to spend time with the right people. Maxwell mentioned that the writer of Proverbs observed that sharp people sharpen one another.
Maxwell added that in order to become a good thinker, you must be intentional about the thinking process regularly putting yourself in the right place to think, shape, stretch, and land your thoughts. He cautioned that ideas have a short life, so you must act on them before they disappear, and when starting the thinking process, you cannot rely on your feelings. This means that you cannot wait until you feel like thinking to do it. He reiterated that to think better, you must find a place to think, shape, stretch, your thoughts, land, and fly your thoughts.
Additional tips on improving thinking were presented in an article (“How To Think Better,” n.d.). The writer said that the best way to improve your thinking is to spend time thinking. To force ourselves to spend more time thinking, we must write about it. In the article, Leslie Lamport was quoted, “If you’re thinking without writing, you only think you’re thinking.” The writer of the article added, “Writing is not just a vehicle to communicate but one to practice our reasoning. Writing forces you to slow down, focus, and think deeply.”
Breathing can also help one in the process of thinking first. Providing your brain with oxygen will assist you in planning what to say and do. Pausing momentarily before making a decision allows you to weigh your thoughts carefully and prevents you from acting or saying something impulsively.
Taking a second or two to think first before making a decision can save you from hours, if not a lifetime) of regret.
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M.A.D. LIGAYA
M.A.D. L I G A Y A 