The End Has Come

Over the last few weeks, I feel like I have reinforced things I knew to be true and learned a few new things about body language, as well as myself. When I think back, I have realized how important it is to look at the small things. Body language is such a small piece of our interaction but plays one of the biggest roles. I have noticed bad days, had people open up when I realize something is wrong, walked away when I knew something was wrong, and been frustrated when people did not notice my body language.

One of the most eye opening experiences is when I was quite upset when people didn't notice from my body language that I was having a bad day. I was upset because I noticed when they weren't having a good day and they couldn't take a few minutes to make sure I was doing o.k.. After letting this sit for a few days, I realized that I can't be mad. I have been fortunate enough to study Communications and understand all the inner workings of it. Most to do realize what an important part body language plays in the world of communication. I can't be mad they they have not learned everything that I have. I need to remind myself of this often and try to relay this important information.

I believe that if you lead by example, others will catch on. All I can do is be responsible for my actions and hopefully I can share my knowledge with others. Life is about learning and we can't expect everyone to know everything. Communication is so important and we who understand thing need to be the ones to get the word out.

This project has challenged me to continue learning about communication and body language alike so that I may use it effectively. If I do not use the knowledge that I have acquired, the last two years have been a complete waste.

Child's Play

Today we did our community project for class...we went and volunteered our time at a Preschool. At first, I wasn't too sure how much we would contribute to the program. As we arrived I could feel myself become a bit tense at the uncertainty and it was most likely visible to the kids and staff. It seemed like everyone but us knew what was going on and what to do.

You could tell that the kids were just as uncertain about us as we were about them. One little girl kept looking from Jason to me and back to Jason not sure of who we were and what we were doing there. The staff refereed to her behavior as "stranger danger" behavior. She would not leave the teachers side and you could tell that her body was quite tense because she was so unsure of who we were. On the other hand, we had a few of the little ones looking up at us and mimicking our behavior. It was interesting to see the difference of body language of some of the kids towards us.

One of the kids I noticed right off the bat was a little boy who was off in the corner all by himself. He seemed shy and uninterested in what everyone else was doing. Jason made a point of making him feel included. You could tell after bit that he seemed to open up and warm up quite a bit after just receiving some attention.

I think today was the day where I noticed body language the most. I was able to see how interaction and relationships play a role in body language. If a child does not know you and is not comfortable around you, you will visibly see it much more than you would in an adult. Children put everything out there for you to see it. As the day progressed it was so fun to see the kids loosen up and begin to interact with us. This also helped us with our body language. We were no longer appearing nervous or stiff because we did not know what was going on around us. I believe that this helped put the kids as ease as well.

By the end of the morning we were able to interact with the kids and actually learn a little bit about them. I love seeing a child open up to someone they wouldn't have if they did not feel comfortable. We need to be aware of what we are expressing through our bodies when we are around children. I believe that they can read us better then we can ourselves. Be aware of your impact on them.

Questions Without Answers

During the question time of my presentation on Monday, someone asked if I would ever consider a career in helping people understand the effects of their body language. I have been thinking about that a lot lately. Is there such a career? I don't know if I would ever pursue that, but can I help those around me understand how important it is? Can my photographs help people understand their bond with those around them through their body language? Do people really care about body language?

These are all questions that I think I will continue to ask myself. I may never find the answers but I can embark on a fun adventure trying to answer them. As I go through my days I try to observe, respond and evaluate body language of myself and others. When I photograph, I will seek to the essence of a relationship. As I interact I will respond to small hints. This is all I can do

One Of Those Days

Today I was just in a funk. No real reason. Life just seems a bit overwhelming at times lately. Really, it's just me making decisions a lot more difficult than they need to be. I tend to freak out with change and uncertainty. The funny thing is that I don't like things to get stagnant and enjoy new things. So I get caught in a catch 22. Now that I write this out I see how ridiculous it is!

Well today was one of those freak out moments. As I walked into work, it must have been written all over my face because one of the girls I worked with right away asked me if I was o.k.. I told her I just had a lot on my mind and talked to her for a few minutes about it. It was neat to see someone else really pay attention to body language. No one else noticed that I wasn't in the best of moods so I was pretty impressed.

I am also realizing how hard it is to change your body language when you are feeling one way and are forced to change your attitude. While at work I have to constantly smile and be friendly. Everything in me was exuding the opposite but I had to cause myself to behave in a different way. Mood really affects your body language, and I noticed that when I was forced to behave a certain way it affect my body language. In this instance, it was a positive effect and by the end of the night I was feeling a bit better.

Well Done Class

So today was my presentation and I have to say...well done class. You were alert, well poised and I saw quite a few head nods. Well done with the body language. Either you were actually interested in what I was saying or your pretty good actors! My favorite part was when Dr. Bill looked around when I mentioned body language during class, I think he was impressed.

I hope that you have taken the time to notice a bit more about body language over the past week. It really is amazing what you notice when you slow down and try to take in the little moments that pass by so easily if we let them.

What Have I Learned?

So two weeks have come to a close and they have seemed to fly by. Weeks seem to be doing that lately! Coming out of these two weeks I really feel like I lived a little richer than usual. I am so accustomed to walking through my day, actually more like rushing. I hardly take the time to really notice the little things in life and seem to be the most important.

After giving myself this challenge, I have come to a greater sense of how important body language is. I have always know it was important and the classes here at Sac State have reinforced that but some how it always feel into the back of my mind. I would pick up on things here and there, but with this challenge I have noticed more than I ever thought I would.

Trust me, I am not perfect, I will not noticed everything like I mentioned in previous posts but I think I made a real improvement. I feel that if I keep on this path, my relationships will improve and I won't miss out on all those small moments that could make a huge difference.

Besides improving my relationship and willingness to put myself out there to help others because of the body language they are giving off I have become more aware of what I am giving off. I need to be careful in my personal , educational and professional life. One of the things I really need to work on is my body language towards people at work. I am there to do a job and I need to realize how I am effecting others. I need to be more observant and considerate towards the ones who are in my life, my roomie, my family and my friends. I need to make sure I am presenting my body language in a way that others would know that I am interested in what they have to say. All of these things will be a challenge but I know that each one of them will improve my relationships and life in general.

Life is made of challenges, and I believe that by giving yourself challenges you can really see growth in yourself. I want to continue with this challenge to see where it leads me. What little moments will I now notice? How many people will I affect in a positive manner by noticing small instances of body language that no one else did? How will my willingness to be an active listener and presenting that with my body language affect those who are sharing their knowledge and experiences affect both them and myself. I hope to always grow and challenge myself beyond college and not let myself stop learning just because I am outside the academic world.

Were You Getting Lectured?

So I can't help but laugh because of my night at work last night. It started off pretty rough and the tension was building. One of the servers came up and said some smart remark to me and as she was walking up the stairs she tripped. I felt horrible for laughing but I just couldn't keep it in. Looking around, guests at a near by table tried to keep in as well. He looked down towards the ground and covered his mouth. I could tell by his body language that he was giving it his all not to bust out laughing.

We had another guest who came in an just by his posture and facial expressions I knew he wasn't a happy man. When noticing this, I tried to be friendly and welcome (more than usual) to make him feel comfortable and to improve his body language. It didn't seem to work and it was a bit disappointing. Throughout this challenge I have made a point of trying to pick up on the small body language cues to improve someone's mood or my relationship with them, but if someone is not receptive, there is not much that I can do.

Another thing that made me laugh tonight at work tonight was when I was watching two of the other greeters (who are sisters) talk from across the room. I could see one sister moving her hands and head as she was talking to the other. As the other sister walked over to me, I asked "Were you getting lectured?". She couldn't figure out how I know and I told her I have been making an effort to pay attention to body language. All she could do was laugh because I know what was going on just by observing and not hearing any part of their conversation.