In communication and in life, context is everything.
In this photograph, I’m standing against a tall concrete wall. Possibly, it could be in any one of thousands of cities around the world. But it’s in Berlin where I am currently residing. And this wall I’m leaning against is one of the last remaining sections of the Berlin Wall.
It is not just a wall. It’s a profound symbol of how life can change in a blink when we least expect it. I met a man here in Berlin… whose family was altered profoundly in a few short days by this wall.
As a child, his mother was unwell so his grandmother left their home and family business in Berlin and traveled with her daughter for medical treatment down to southern Germany. As it took longer than planned, she left her daughter with family, and returned to Berlin to retrieve more clothing for them and check on their business. In this short space of time the wall was built, trapping her in East Berlin. His grandmother could not communicate with their family for nearly thirty years.
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the MauerFall – the fall of the Berlin Wall, that extraordinary revolution of 9th November 1989 which occurred peacefully and without loss of life. This event marked a turning point in human history, where we chose compassion over fear and unity over separation, where we chose to evolve, to sort by similarity not difference, to communicate our perspectives and find common ground.
Context is everything. When we remember where we’ve come from we can remember our original purpose for being here. When we understand context we can hold more compassion for another’s view of the world.
Why does this matter?
In communication, the ability to understand another’s world view makes you infinitely more effective.
And why does being an effective communicator matter?
Because communication is everything. If we cannot speak another’s language, our relationships are limited. And if, as humans, we have limited relationships, we lead a limited life.
In the words of the brilliant communicator and psychotherapist Virginia Satir, “communication is to a relationship what breathing is to life”.
Inhale. Exhale. Breathe.
Communicate.