Concentration Is The Secret Of Strength

“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing; others judge us by what we have done” are the wise words said by one of the greatest American poets, H.W. Longfellow. He wants to remind us of the mistake we commit when we overestimate or underestimate ourselves and get carried away by our own thoughts, when we are supposed to be objective in our approach and act according to what a particular situation calls for. For instance, in a situation where we are required to express ourselves, if we feel that others are more expressive than we are, we get disturbed and fumble while expressing our thoughts. It seems natural, but should be avoided, because our thoughts if expressed clearly can lead us to desired success. No two individuals can be exactly alike and some people may have better way of expressing themselves than others. But it does not mean that only those people are worthy of doing things. You can also become very adept at expressing yourself in a better way than other persons. If you believe
in practice, in all probability, you will emerge victorious.

If you want to become a good communicator, you have to bear in mind that you should never use sentences which do not have any meaning. All that you say should have some purpose, because purposeless talk is idle talk. In order to make your communication effective you must choose your words carefully. Simple and concise words endear you to the listeners who are attentive and listen to whatever you speak. You should never use words which appear to be new and out of place. They should sound real and must appeal directly to senses. There is a famous quote—“Any fact is better established by two or three good testimonies than by a thousand arguments”. If you describe an event to illustrate a point, do not try to skip it and tell the whole story for good communication. If you tell it successfully even in brief, it will get your point across. Here the question which may arise is—“How to make even a real event look convincing?” The answer is very simple. Only those words will sound convincing which can present the facts in a simple and direct way. “The safest words are always those which bring us most directly to facts.“ Always choose your language according to the exigency of the situation and use only those words which match your audience. Never get elaborate in your expression, because it will result in loss of interest. People’s loss of interest in you will not serve your purpose, because vagueness may lead to misunderstanding or confusion. If you have got a tendency to use elaborate language, try to overcome it by practice. Practise your words aloud and try to find out whether those are the words you use in your conversation with friends. If you find out that you are using some words you generally do not use, avoid them.

The secret of good communication lies in simplicity. In the words of the famous poet, Walt Whitman—“Simplicity is the glory of expression.” Concentrate on the real-world examples and you will feel that you have been able to put your point across in a very simple language. If you make your point clear, there is a hundred percent chance of your success. Emerson has rightly said, “Concentration is the secret of strength.”