Thesis Statement: The success of any relationship depends on the ability to communicate well. Communication is important in relationships as it allows us to share our interests, concerns, support each other; organize our lives and make decisions; and allows us to work together. Effective communication is based on how we speak and listen, how we respond and our body language. We can all learn how to improve the way we communicate. It takes more than just words to create a safe, exciting and secure relationship. Too often the signals we send are not the ones we intend to send. When this happens, both connection and trust are lost in our relationships. When we communicate, we can say a lot without speaking. Our body, our posture, the tone of our voice and our facial expression all convey a message. If our feelings don't match our words, it's often body language that is heard and believed. Nonverbal communication is a rapidly flowing interactive process. Self-awareness and understanding the signals you may be sending are matched by the signals others are sending and picking up from you. To do this effectively, you need to clear your mind of all distractions. Try to plan, create, talk to yourself, think about the other person or what to say, then you won't pay attention to the moment-to-moment experience, have the presence of mind to pick up on nonverbal cues, or fully understand what's really happening in the conversation. Skilled nonverbal emotional communication is also an extremely important resource for managing and avoiding conflict. No part of nonverbal communication speaks louder than your emotions - and nothing can have a greater influence on others. Communication is something we should all know is in...... middle of paper ...... along with those words. Listening means you are interested in learning more about what the people in your life strive to tell you and make the necessary efforts to achieve your relationship goals together. However, it is very important to know that all communication between partners must be open, honest, non-judgmental and patient if you want to be successful and maintain a happy and healthy relationship. The importance of being a good listener has led me to an awareness of how to be more considerate of my friends and family when they try to communicate with me and I in turn try to communicate with them. Communication taught me to remove myself from the image and see into the eyes of the people around. I find that when I am more attentive to the needs of those who seek to connect with me, life is much easier.