Learning to speak took persistence, focused attention and also courage...... However once I reached a certain level of success I no longer consciously focused on learning more words, a different tone of voice. I doubt I paid any attention to body language. I used what I knew would work.....until some need arose which caused me to realize I had much more to learn....How about you?

Ever thought about from where does your language come?..... and what does it reveal? Do you ever think about your language beyond using it? How much attention do you give to your style of speaking? All language is a form of music. Haven't you noticed differences between parts of your country? when traveling to other nations? We call them accents. What's yours? How do you "sound" to others? Do you ever focus on changing, altering the "melodies" you use? 
 
In my opinion: Language is a mixture of diverse beliefs. Every time words are spoken they carry forth the vibrations of the speaker's beliefs >>>>>>>>>>>>> like strings attached to the words. Our words are chosen by our brain based on our perceptions and PERCEPTION is a conglomerate of all our body senses.

Stop for a moment and think. When asked to recall, would you agree the brain has stored fragmented bits and pieces from all senses to create a composite memory? You could easily call it a 'story'. For example, seeing an apple is not enough information to create the brain's story of apple. It is a fractional re-presentation, further enhanced by the added fractions of touch and taste, aided by the sound of eating an apple. Then the brain must add variations on the theme. How many colors of apple? How many changes in texture? Now apply the same sequence to other memories/language labels your brain stores. All are conglomerates of our individual life experiences with oft added dialogue: other people's opinion. We all have our "dictionaries" and we assume they match the person (s) we are speaking to/with. But are they the same definitions......even for the unadorned apple?

Now look at the world surrounding you/me/the guy next door, particularly at the technology which consistently inundates us with waves of "information spam" which can threaten and submerge the authentic Self. Surrounded by devices openly relying on illusion: reasonable "facsimiles" by way of sound and image files which trick the brain into perceiving it's expectation...Be it camcorders, camera cell phones, DVD players, HDTV, all work on the same principles of image interpretation. Brains are known to receive, compare data (to that previously stored) then go to decoding and storing only the changes... or not changing any thing at all. What we perceive as "real" is only and always, all ways, based on our perceptual expectations coupled with habits of previously sensed stored data. We all form patterns of predictive reality = treasured, and perhaps tightly held, expectations. Now add the additional element of consensual reality created by our local society of other humans. Stretch it further to include the global societies of other nations. Is it any wonder we sometimes mis-interpret what we see and/or hear? or pull forth a fractional memory of people and/or events? You could accurately say we, human beings, are co-evolving within the cyberspace of technology. It is a fact we seldom consider, yet we are daily at the effect of cyberspace pressure. 

I am reading "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen Covey and realize how drastically I must expand my own ideas of TRUST.....far beyond my own concepts gained through living in America....How does one bridge the gap between nations? One has only to watch a news broadcast to discover a dilemma of interpretation. What are the expectations (fractional memories) my brain pulls forth which could be erroneous in today's world? When speaking, where do I find the middle road of compassionate authenticity? For me the road lies within my own beliefs of Life being in Divine order, whether or not I understand the sequence. Every time I rely on stored expectations I am again reminded to ask my Self "am I allowing my everyday reality into being manipulated/influenced by my own expectations?" STOP. Sometimes the adjustment is easy and sometimes it is rather tedious and difficult. Other times it is simply FUNNY....For example, I treasure my time in '83, finding my Self smack dab in the middle of Aussie culture and the 'otherness' of living here... Forget the road, that was the easy part. Ah,,,,,,,the language. In my naivety I thought we all speak English, right? HAH ...was quickly informed I spoke YANKEE. So I learned to ASK......."is that what you meant?" am I correct?" would you rephrase that?" etc. etc. Clarity leads to power and I survived admirably. I returned again in '95 for 3 1/2 yrs. and thoroughly loved my life there. I learned even tho' I didn't have an Uncle Bob. "Oh your Uncle Bob" was the Aussie way of saying "don't worry about it"....I was even accused by a friend of "Oh my gawd,you're beginning to sound like an Aussie"....Adaptable I am.

Sometimes that adaptation is demanded and saught. Don't you have some similar memories?.....Even between parts of America language differs.....add Canada....venture southward to Mexico where Spanish is NOT the same as Mexican. Oh no, life is never dull. At  times I suspect we never give our speech a thought....You might consider it an invisible challenge to train your self to investigate preconceived/habitual speech patterns in order to express REALITY with newly adjusted eyes and ears fully experiencing the unfolding "NOW" moment. You might be amazed by the difference you can make to your listeners.

 Both brains and technology are susceptible to manipulation. Technology can be equally accurate, yet as you may have learned, equally deceptive. Be aware, and more than being aware, be CARING of our world and everyone on it. It's the only home we've got.......so far.