COMMUNICATION -
     This value is defined as the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.
     This value is one of the most important and often most difficult of all the values.  I have found in my life that if you can master the art of communication, you can relate very well with the different personalities and different situations.  In my mind, communication is everything!  If a person can master communication with their family, friends, and associates, then they can have a great influence in their lives and others around them.  
     We all know there are different forms of communication.  There are the words we speak which can have a powerful influence (for good or bad).  Words we say can build people up for good or tear people down.  Words are one of the most powerful tools that we have in our world today.  They can inspire and motivate people to make a change or to continue to do their best.  How we approach situations, how we react, and what we SAY will dictate what happens into the future.  It's not always easy to say the right things at the right time.  But, if one continues to learn and make an effort, one can master the art of communication.  The desire has to be there.  There are some that are given the "gift of communication" and know what to say and how to say it at any given time.  Most of us have to make an effort and learn how to effectively communicate.
     There are 5 Habits of Highly Effective Communicators that are mentioned by Susan Tardanico about leadership and communication.
1.  Mind the say-do gap.  This is all about trust, which is the bedrock of effective leadership.  Your behavior is your single greatest mode of communication, and it must be congruent with what you say.  If your actions don't align with your words, there's trouble.
2.  Make the complex simple.  Simplicity has never been more powerful or necessary.  Effective leaders distill complex thoughts and strategies into simple, memorable terms that colleagues and customers can grasp and act upon.  Say what you mean in as few words as possible.
3.  Find your own voice.  Let your values come through in your communication.  Concentrate on being distinct and real.  People want real, not someone pretending to be someone else.
4.  Be visible.  Communicate face to face, rather than by computer or your phone.  Interact face to face.  Show people that you are engaged and care about them.
5.  Listen with your eyes as well as your ears.  Stop, look, and listen.  Good leaders know how to ask good questions, and then listen with both their eyes and ears.
     There are the non-verbal forms of communication such as body language which includes facial expression, gestures, posture, and the eyes.  These non-verbal forms are just as important and may even be more important.  What's interesting is that non-verbal forms are universal.  In going to Tonga, we don't speak their language and some of the Tongans have little ability to speak English.  But, we can communicate in a very powerful and effective way with our non-verbal forms of communication.  A SMILE can go a long way.  When you see someone smiling at you, it can be contagious.  You may not be able to talk the same language, but you can share smiles and in some way, you know exactly what is being said.  There is a lot of power in a SMILE.  
     The other non-verbal form that I want to talk about is the eyes.  When you look at someone, what is the first thing you look at?  It is usually a person's smile or their eyes.  Both the mouth and the eyes communicate powerful messages.  I love it when I see people smiling with their eyes.  You look at what their eyes are saying and you can tell that they are happy people.  I love to see the wrinkles around people's eyes because I know that they smile a lot and are optimistic, happy people.  You can tell a lot about a person in their eyes.  I love the quote from Star Wars that says, "I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people."  That is so true.  People that are productive, happy people have the same eyes.  It is my goal to see those eyes in our children and our grandchildren.  In the Tongan culture and the polynesian people, I see those happy and pure eyes.  I am looking forward to learning more about them as a people and the values that they hold dear to their hearts.
 Some claim that it takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 muscles to smile.  So SMILE, it's much easier!  :)  A smile is the universal language.  It's understood by ALL.  In Tonga, we will SMILE until we can start to understand the Tonga people in one way or another.