The power of Communication

For a majority of my life I have heard many people in conversations say that the most important thing in any relationship is open communication.  I never really gave this much thought other than about how hard it would be for me to share everything that popped into my head with somebody.  That always frightened me, because like most people sometimes I am not thinking the most kind things about people or situations.  It would probably be more destructive to a relationship to share everything I thought.  Luckily, the key to a good relationship is effective communication.  There is a need to be honest, kind, and open when talking with someone important to you.  It helps when both people can feel like they are free to say the things that matter to them and to the relationship.  By establishing this kind of communication early on in relationships couples will have better insights into solving arguments than those who have closed communication.
Another solid practice that can help with communication and understanding is to confirm with your significant other what they said.  I know that I have gotten into many stupid situations because I thought I heard someone say something that they didn't.  By asking someone, "Is this what you mean?" and then relaying what you heard it will be easier to avoid possible misunderstandings with people and avoid frustrating situations.  In this world of so much conversations going on, between our phones, emails, facebook, and people around us it can be very easy to misunderstand something that we hear because we weren't really listening or they casually mentioned it.  It would be in everyone's benefit to learn how to listen and how to communicate clearly.  Really it comes down to the amount of time that we want to devote.