The Art of Presence

Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction

What you'll learn
Demonstrate understanding of self, relationships, and diverse perspectives by critically analyzing how culture, gender and identity shape communication
Strike a balance between freedom of expression, tolerance, an appreciation for diverse perspectives in a variety of interpersonal settings
Discover strategies for overcoming communication challenges such as conflict and reconciliation
Explore the topics of self-awareness, resilience, mindful presence, and the importance of connection within interpersonal relationships
Requirements
To succeed in this course, learners need a malleable curiosity, commitment to growth and development, and a desire to deepen and cultivate meaningful relationships
Description
We currently live within the most distraction-rich environment in all of human history. There are more elements in our daily existence competing for our attention that ever before, which can lead to an out-of-control attention span and feelings of stress, frustration, lack of focus, and at worst, damaged relationships.

This course may be unlike other courses you've experienced. When I set out to create it based on my experience with researching the art of mindfulness, my goal was to create an immersive, interactive, and, dare I say, intimate experience between learner and learning. It has long been my view that personal development is meant to be felt as it is experienced, but far too many courses or programs fail to leave us with an impression because they fail to connect to that which generates feelings like the mindful interaction my friend had previously described.

Therefore, based on this view, my task, as your guide, is to give you, the curious learner, a rich and full experience as you navigate this course. You will do more than simply read and reflect as you embark on a journey into the realm of mindful interpersonal communication. Theories must leave the page and find their place in the real world for them to have value, so this course will, in many ways, act as a guide to applying these theories to your everyday interaction. There will be times where this course will leave the digital realm and enter the physical one by means of intricate social experiments designed to help you break out of self-imposed limitations.

This course will make you think. It will frustrate you and make you angry in certain points. It could potentially elicit tears at other points. Sometimes, those tears will be drawn from a well of despair or frustration. Other times, those tears might be a fountain of joy and fullness.

What to Expect

This course is divided into four modules, each of which has four subsections. It is specifically and methodically designed so that each module builds upon the last, and each subsection fits together like a puzzle. In the end, you will have a more complete picture of what it means to be a more mindful communicator.

Each section includes a video, supplemental reading, and an activity requiring your full participation, so be sure to download the resources and complete the activities. As you do them, understand that, the more of yourself that you put into the activities, the more you will get out of them. If you take the activities to heart and engage in them with both courage and reckless abandon, then they will become powerful tools to carve you into a model of mindful communication.

However, not all of the activities will be profound or life-altering. Some activities may resonate more with certain people than with others, so if you do an activity and put mindful effort into it, don’t be disappointed if your first reaction is more like, “Meh…” Also, not all of the activities produce rainbows featuring unicorns being ridden by cute, fuzzy kittens. Some of the activities could go to a dark place, the kind of shadowy realm of self-reflection you likely would rather avoid if you could help it—but do so with courage.

As mentioned previously, each piece of the puzzle forms an important part of the bigger picture, so trust in the process and keep moving forward. By the end of this course, if you have done each and every activity mindfully and faithfully, then you will have grown and developed tremendously as a communicator, but more than that, you will be able to see tangible, visible, and even measurable results immediately.

Course Background

In 2010, as part of a research project, I interviewed someone about mindful presence, a topic related to my area of research interest. At that time, I knew I was interested in researching more about the impact of mindfulness on interpersonal relationships, and one of my questions was regarding how he described moments where he and his child were immersed in their time together, where it seemed like the world gradually disappeared and they found themselves alone together in a place where nothing could possibly distract them away from the magic of the moment.

I pressed further into the interview, prodding him about this curious statement that had piqued my interest. His response was worded so perfectly, yet so curiously, that it was as though he had fired some imaginary starter pistol that would set me off on my life’s work. He stated, “It’s almost as though I’m seeing her again for the first time.”

The depth and beauty of this response so perfectly describes what happens when we surrender ourselves to the power of a moment with someone we love. In moments like these, it is as though layer after layer of grime and fuzziness are stripped away in an instant, immersing us within a state of perfect clarity, and yet, all we see then is the interaction in front of us as if it was all that has ever mattered or ever will matter. Everything in such a moment is fresh and new, even if we have seen or experienced those things a thousand times before. Such moments define the heart of mindful presence.

Who this course is for
Adult learners with a desire to improve relationships
Professionals who recognize the importance of self-awareness and powerful communication
People who struggle with conflict avoidance, self-image, self-criticism, inhibition, listening skills, and more